Architect Tips Ante-Post Preview: Arkle Chase 2022

The Grade 1 Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase, the second race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, is the main course of the two-mile novice chase division. It has been won by some of the giants of the sport with a roll of honour that includes the likes of Moscow Flyer, Douvan, Sprinter Sacre and more recently Altior and Shishkin, who’s a warm favourite to land the Champion Chase on the Wednesday of the four-day meeting. That is just a sample size of the previous winners as other top-class speedsters have won this, too, but interestingly - besides Nicky Henderson’s high-class duo, you have to go back eight years to find the last British-trained winner of this prestigious affair in the shape of Western Warhorse. 

Also recognised to be a good guidance for the  Champion Chase, the Arkle is prone to being an event that punters enjoy, as a lot of favourites either win or do very well in this contest. While this year’s renewal will be missing that superstar quality due to Ferny Hollow’s absence, who’s sadly been ruled out with injury, it still has the makings and potential to still be a great spectacle. The betting for the race is generally dominated by Irish raiders, likewise to this year, with Willie Mullins in that mixture as expected, who’s currently covered 50% of the six towards the top-end of the scale with three intended contenders. That said, Alan King’s Edwardstone, the current ante-post favourite at a general 2/1, will be looking to spoil the party, who’s confidence has somewhat been restored after his initial transition to fences went quite pear-shaped due to unseating his rider on chase debut. 

He was campaigned over hurdles for the remainder of the season afterwards, running creditably in various good-quality handicaps and while he was brought down at the fourth-last fence by For Pleasure on his return to chasing this term at Warwick last November, it's been very smooth stuff since, who’s not looked back since that incident, winning four times in succession, where he shown raw speed, intelligence and a good jumping technique to win each time. His improvement this term also resulted with a fully-deserved victory at the highest level for the first time in his career in the Grade 1 Grade 1 Henry VII Novices' Chase at Sandown, putting aside any cause for concern in regards to the jumping department, as he flourished over the railway fences, en route to success.

He was last seen sent off a short-priced favourite for the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices' Chase at Kempton and proved his superiority over his opponents with a dominant four-length victory over Dan Skelton’s Third Time Lucki and given his versatility, and his clever jumping style, he will be ideally suited to the two-mile championship chase event at Cheltenham and therefore he’s a really strong contender for the home team. The only issue I have with him, though, is his price - as I’m not too sure I want to be taking 2/1 with the Irish protagonists right on his quarters in the market, especially with the events most decorated trainer Nicky Henderson, who’s won the race seven times, having no fire power for this year’s event.

In the absence of Ferny Hollow, Willie Mullins main hope, according to most firms at least, appears to be Blue Lord. A general 3/1 chance for this, who’s spotted into second-favourite, he’s two-from-two over fences. He was second-best to Bob Olinger in the Grade 1 Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle and was then third behind Appreciate It in the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. He was looking likely to finish a well-held second in the Supreme until falling at the last but made a smooth transition to fences when returning an easy winner on chase debut, albeit in a pretty weak event. It was then on to the Irish Arkle and while he just about got the better of third favourite for the Arkle at 9/2 - Riviere D’etel to land the spoils, I was far from impressed, however, as I felt the runner-up returned an unlucky loser on the day. 

She made a crucial mistake at the last fence, handing the initiative to the former who landed from the back of the fence with more momentum before Gordon Elliott’s charge rallied in the shadows of the post to be beaten only half-a-length. The latter is clearly a good mare, who had previously chased home Ferny Hollow but the differential between the pair is that Blue Lord was giving the runner-up a lot of weight and is open to further improvement with less chase starts under his belt. I have the utmost respect for both of them alongside the third Saint Sam, who did well to recover from a bad blunder at a crucial fence to finish third but while they are all entitled to be very competitive, I am going to stick my neck on the line and keep the faith with a horse I have a lot of time for - HAUT EN COULEURS (best price 7-1), ironically, also trained by Willie Mullins. This big, scopey individual by Saint Des Saints made his stable debut in last season’s Triumph Hurdle and, while he was sent off at an SP of 22/1, I was more interested to see why Paul Townend had chosen to ride him over stablemate Tax For Max at the time and by the end of the race, I realised why. 

He ran a great race to finish third, beaten only a length and three-quarters despite having no experience of Cheltenham and no preparatory run. For a horse with two huge negatives to overcome, he travelled and jumped well throughout and the undulations of Prestbury Park didn’t appear to bother him in the slightest, which is evidently a sign of a really smart prospect. His only other start that campaign saw him tackle the Grade 1 Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown, where again, he looked a horse to follow going forward. Sent off second-favourite at an SP 15/8, he raced more keenly on this occasion but he made a decisive move from the back of the third last to lead off the home-bend and I was taken back with the manner in which he injected a devastating turn of foot to briefly go clear of the field who were soon under pressure to give chase on the turn for home. 

Ultimately, he was headed over the final flight, looking quite green in the process, but he stuck to his task really well, leaving the impression that better was to come. As is often the case, he went straight over fences this season and he created a deep impression in a 2m1f Beginners Chase at Leopardstown in December, powering to a clear-cut success. In addition, he beat a solid field with the likes of Gentleman De Mee well beaten in behind, who subsequently won impressively and is now favourite for the Grand Annual. He suffered an early uncharacteristic fall at the Dublin Racing Festival in the race won by stablemate Blue Lord, which isn’t ideal going into Cheltenham on your next start, but Willie Mullins will have given him some intense schooling sessions since.

With the potential to reach the very top of the two-mile novice chase division, I’ll take my chances on him hopefully proving to be a serious force in all the top two-mile events in years to come, starting with the Arkle next month. Just to add, though, I would recommend taking the NRNB concession as he’s also entered in the Turners Novices’ Chase on Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival but I can’t see him going up in trip, though Willie Mullins will no doubt leave the decision as late as possible so nothing can ever be certain at this stage.