Majborough is a short price favourite to build on his Triumph Hurdle success from last year for Willie Mullins - can anyone stop him in the Arkle?
Arkle Chase
The Arkle Chase is the second race on Day 1, scheduled for 14:00. This Grade 1 race is designed for novice chasers and covers a distance of 2 miles on the old course.
The trend of limited entries has continued with only five declared runners, yet it continues to hold its status as the most esteemed novice chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Arkle Chase Winners, Trends & Stats
This competition boasts a storied past, with notable winners this century including Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop, Sizing Europe, Sprinter Sacre, Un Des Sceaux, Douvan, Altior, and Shishkin.
The race often serves as a predictor for the following season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase, with seven of the last 14 victors of that event having triumphed here the previous year.
Majborough, who won last year’s Triumph Hurdle, faces an age-related hurdle if he is to live up to his short odds this time around. Since 2007, only 16 five-year-olds have competed in the Arkle, and none have emerged victorious.
Here are some notable betting trends for those eyeing up the best use of Cheltenham offers on Day 1at the Festival.
- 19 of the last 24 winners had previously secured a Grade 1 or Grade 2 victory over fences.
- Seven of the past 12 winners had achieved Grade 1 or Grade 2 success over both hurdles and fences.
- 10 of the last 13 winners were trained by either Willie Mullins (six) or Nicky Henderson (four).
- 26 of the previous 33 winners were aged six or seven.
- 15 of the last 21 winners had competed at the prior year’s Cheltenham Festival.
- 16 of the past 22 winners had raced three or four times over fences.
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Arkle Chase Key Runners & Contenders
Majborough
Owned by JP McManus, this five-year-old progressed from a third-place finish in last season’s Spring Juvenile Hurdle to lead a 1-2 finish for Willie Mullins in the Triumph Hurdle.
He delivered a commanding 6½-length victory on his chasing debut at Fairyhouse in December and followed it up by justifying 8/11 odds with a nine-length win in the Irish Arkle. As noted, he must overcome an age trend, but he appears a strong favourite to do so.
L'Eau Du Sud
A top-tier handicap hurdler last season, this horse secured second place in both the Betfair Hurdle and the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Trained by Dan Skelton, the seven-year-old remains unbeaten across his four chasing outings this season, including a Grade 1 triumph at Sandown in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase in December.
His latest effort saw him edge out Rubaud by a length at Warwick in a determined performance. He’ll need a career-best effort to rival Majborough, but that seems well within reach.
Jango Baie
This contender has never finished outside the top two in his eight-race career and is guided by Nicky Henderson, a trainer with four wins in this race over the past 13 years. A Grade 1-winning novice hurdler last season, he impressed with a 6½-length victory on his chasing debut at Cheltenham over 2m4½f.
After finishing second in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown, his team has opted to reduce his distance to 2 miles, where his stamina should see him finish strongly.
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Arkle Chase Trainers & Jockeys to Watch
Unsurprisingly, Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson dominate this race’s recent history. Together, they’ve claimed 10 of the last 13 renewals, with Mullins accounting for six.
With Sir Gino sidelined by injury, Nicky Henderson’s hopes rest on Jango Baie, who steps down in distance. Willie Mullins and Paul Townend have teamed up to win the last two editions with El Fabiolo and Gaelic Warrior, but this year, Mark Walsh will ride the heavily fancied Majborough.
Arkle Chase Ground Conditions & Weather
The anticipated good to soft ground on the Festival’s opening day should pose no problems for the top three contenders and might even play to their advantage.
Arkle Chase Pace & Tactics
The standout pace-setter is the favourite, Majborough, who led from start to finish on his chasing debut and took control after the first fence in the Irish Arkle against Touch Me Not.
L’Eau Du Sud and Jango Baie are expected to race prominently to prevent Majborough from having an unchallenged lead, ensuring a brisk tempo that should suit all three horses.
Arkle Chase Tips
Majborough stands as the second short-priced favourite on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and it feels like his race to lose.
While L’Eau Du Sud and Jango Baie are worthy challengers, it would be a surprise if the Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old couldn’t build on his Triumph Hurdle success from last year.
