2026 The Arkle Novices' Chase Betting
Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba are the joint 6/4 favourites to win the Arkle Novices' Chase in what promises to be a fascinating contest. The former was last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle champion for Willie Mullins, romping home under Paul Townend. After a shaky run at Punchestown, the horse was back in the winners' enclosure when scoring at Navan in November and now steps up to fencing for the first time at the Festival.
Lulamba is a Nicky Henderson-trained charge who ran second in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at last year's Festival, only beaten by rank outsider Poniros. Since then, there have been impressive chasing victories at Sandown Park and Newbury, with the horse acting well on different ground conditions. The runner heads to Cheltenham with a strong profile for this Grade One encounter.
Romeo Coolio might buck the recent trend of six-year-olds winning the Arkle when the seven-year-old takes his place in the field. Gordon Elliott saddles a runner who was seen scoring at Fairyhouse when obliging by eight lengths over two miles and four furlongs. Since then, there have been consecutive wins at Leopardstown, including a Boxing Day success in the Racing Post Novice Chase and a DRF victory in the Irish Arkle Novice Chase.
2025 Arkle Challenge Trophy Tips
Sir Gino has a string of 1’s next to his name and he could take a lot of beating when it comes to the Arkle Chase. The last victory came at Kempton during the festive period, with a comprehensive seven and a half length win being registered in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase and this came after an impressive victory at Newcastle when delivering the goods in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle.
Back in April, Sir Gino was able to score in the four-year-old juvenile hurdle over two miles and one furlong, with the horse having previously run well at Cheltenham Racecourse when winning the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle in January 2024, although this is far from a one-horse race and Majborough can feature strongly.
Willie Mullins trains a runner who was victorious at Fairyhouse back in December, with the even money shot able to oblige by a comprehensive six and a half lengths. This came after winning at the previous Cheltenham Festival when landing the spoils in the Triumph Hurdle, with the JP McManus-owned runner getting the job done at 6/1.
Every other horse is trading at a much bigger price, with L’Eau du Sud having registered three successive victories. Dan Skelton is likely to get a few Cheltenham Festival winners and there was a victory at Sandown back in December. It was a solid victory in the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase where the horse obliged over nearly two miles.
2024 Arkle Chase Tips
The Arkle Chase could be a showdown between two horses, with Facile Vega and Marine Nationale trading at a much shorter price than the other runners, although there are still several weeks for the landscape to change. The former was three and a quarter lengths behind the latter in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but has since won consecutive races.
Having secured a win in the Champion Novice Hurdle, then came a solid win as the 8/15 favourite in a Beginners Chase over two miles and one furlong. Facile Vega was able to cope well with the soft ground and secure a four length win over Inthepocket, with the Willie Mullins-trained runner probably wanting these sort of conditions at Cheltenham 2024.
Marine Nationale is yet to go chasing at the time of writing, although there is likely to be a Beginners Chase outing over the festive period at Leopardstown, with the six-year-old having won his first five races and there was plenty to like about the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle win which was achieved by over three lengths.
Inthepocket and Gaelic Warrior are other runners who could be viable each-way options although many horses also have multiple entries into other races. Mister Policeman and Blood Destiny could also go well, with the Arkle Chase taking place on Day One of the Cheltenham 2024 meeting and there will be price boosts available.
2023 Arkle Chase Betting Tips
The 2023 Arkle Chase is always a treat and we will see some of the younger pretenders travelling at speed over the bigger obstacles. This includes El Fabiolo, with Willie Mullins hoping that his charge is able to continue the winning trend this season. The six-year-old could certainly take all the beating based on his performance in the recent Irish Arkle.
A ten length victory over the field means that El Fabiolo has now been installed as the favourite to win this second race on Day One of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, with the horse obliging at betting odds of 9/2 and it was a comfortable victory over race favourite Appreciate It, with potentially more to come from a runner who should run fine at Cheltenham.
Jonbon is another horse to have landed a recent string of wins, with Nicky Henderson’s runner finishing a distant second to Constitution Hill in last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before beating El Fabiolo by a neck at Aintree a month later. The two are now set to clash again, with the English horse having secured victories at Sandown Park and Warwick twice this season.
Dysart Dynamo can’t be ruled out of the reckoning and many each-way punters will be looking to wager on the Mullins horse who does have over ten lengths to find on stablemate El Fabiolo, while Appreciate It and Banbridge might also be competing for the place money in this race. We’re looking forward to comparing the odds and seeing where the money goes.
2022 Arkle Chase Tips
Edwardstone is the favourite when it comes to the Cheltenham Arkle betting odds, with the eight-year-old having been in the winning habit during the past National Hunt season. Alan King has trained winners at the Cheltenham Festival before and the latest victory was in the Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices' Chase at Kempton Racecourse.
Sent off as the 8/13 betting favourite, Edwardstone won the race by ten lengths, although perhaps a more impressive performance came in the Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices' Chase on 4 December when the runner was sent off at 3/1 before winning by a mighty sixteen lengths and we have to respect this horse based on that performance.
Can Blue Lord Win the Best 2022 Arkle Betting Tip?
Blue Lord also has a winning record to put on the line, with the horse having won three consecutive times this season and we’re excited to see how the Willie Mullins-trained runner can perform at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. Many Cheltenham betting sites have Blue Lord as their favourite and there has been money for a horse who is among the leading contenders.
The horse fell in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, with the horse then winning a Beginners Chase at Punchestown Racecourse, with the horse then winning a Novice Chase at Naas, while the most impressive performance of all came in the Patrick Ward & Co Solicitors Irish Arkle Novice Chase when being sent off at 5/2.
Riviere D'etel Bidding to Make it Third Time Lucky
Riviere D'etel was sent off favourite to win the Irish Arkle Novice Chase and there was only half a length between him and eventual winner Blue Lord. Gordon Elliott will now have the horse primed for the big race and the Cheltenham betting odds indicate that the five-year-old is among the favourites.
In the Racing Post Novice Chase on Boxing Day, there was also a second-placed finish behind Ferny Hollow, with Jack Kennedy giving the horse a cracking spin and Third Time Lucki is another runner who is going to be an interesting each-way bet.
Is Shishkin a Banker for the Arkle at Cheltenham 2021?
Shishkin was sent off as 8/11 favourite in the Prodec Networks Maiden Hurdle at Newbury Racecourse on 18 December 2019, although the horse has subsequently gone on to impress and currently boasts four consecutive victories including that win in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
The six-year-old recently returned to the track to land a victory in a Beginners’ Chase, although the plain fact was that the horse was sent off as the 1/4 favourite and didn’t beat a lot of rivals, so perhaps there is scope for opposing him this time around.
Which Horses Can Beat Shishkin in the Arkle Chase?
We certainly think the horse is trading too short for this chase race and it only takes one horse to beat the favourite, with Envoi Allen potentially lining up in this clash and Gordon Elliott will have every confidence in this horse should this be the desired route, with multiple entries an inevitability when it comes to this runner.
At the time of writing, no horse has beaten Envoi Allen and he won a Grade 1 Novices’ Chase at Fairyhouse on 29 November 2020, with the horse previously being sent off as the 4/7 favourite to win the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and he’s likely to act in any ground.
Abacadabras is the stablemate of Envoi Allen and let’s not forget that he only lost by a head against Shishkin in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with jockey Jack Kennedy having helped the horse to victory in the recent Morgiana Hurdle and it will now be interesting to see if the runner reacts to bigger obstacles.
The Arkle will take place on Tuesday 10 March 2020, with this being the second race that occurs at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival and it’s naturally seen as the stepping stone to the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Indeed, this is a race over two miles and it’s a stiff test for the horses who line up, with Laurina currently among the favourites to land a victory in this Group 1 encounter.
Trainer Willie Mullins has decided to take the fillie over the bigger obstacles for the coming National Hunt season, with the six-year-old having run in the 2019 Cheltenham Festival when she could only finish fourth despite being strongly fancied.
Indeed, Laurina looked to have the race at her mercy thanks to Buveur D’Air falling in that race and Apples Jade failing to make an impression, although she wasn’t able to make an impression and owners Sullivan Bloodstock Limited have now made the decision to go over fences.
It’s not yet clear whether Laurina will act well over the bigger jumps although she’s among the current favourites to win the Arkle, while Fakir D’Oudairies is available at a similar price and this is another French-bred horse who could cause a stir.
The four-year-old already has an impressive track record in his short career and recently made an appearance at Navan where the Joseph O’Brien-trained charge was able to win at odds of 2/1.
The fact that Fakir D’Oudairies was able to beat favourite Melon suggests that the JP McManus horse could put in a good showing in the Arkle, with the horse having previously ran a creditable fourth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.
The horse was also narrowly beaten at Aintree by Pentland Hills and connections are now taking their chances over the bigger fences in the hope of landing a Cheltenham Festival winner.
It’s not clear where Samcro will be tilted when it comes to the 2020 Cheltenham Festival although the Arkle is certainly an option for a horse which has previously arrived with a star billing.
The Irish raider won the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle as an odds-on favourite although he subsequently fell at Punchestown and hasn’t been the same horse since.
However, the Gigginstown horse did enjoy a facile victory when landing the spoils recently at Down Royal and perhaps that’s the start of things to come for a talented beast.
Felix Desjy was another horse that ran in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and a fifth placed finish suggests that he’s another to watch when it comes to the road to the Arkle.
This is another Gordon Elliott horse and the six-year-old hasn’t yet been seen at a track over fences, although it finished second behind Klassical Dream last season at Punchestown before being given the last few months off.
Arkle Chase FAQ
The Arkle Challenge Trophy takes place on Tuesday 10 March, with this being the second race of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. After the excitement of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle comes the chance to wager on another top-class race and this is scheduled to go off at 2pm.
Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba are the joint favourites to win the Arkle Challenge Trophy at around 6/4 at the time of writing. There could yet be plenty of price movement ahead of a fascinating renewal featuring the reigning Supreme champion stepping up in trip.
You will need to have at least one registered betting account in order to place wagers on the Arkle Challenge Trophy. However, we recommend you sign up with several bookies in order to compare the odds and ensure that you always secure the value on this race.
It has to be admitted that favourites have a strong recent record in the Arkle, with ten of the last thirteen renewals seeing the market leader land a victory. In addition, the previous seventeen encounters saw eleven winners that were actually top-rated so that’s worth bearing in mind.
Last year’s Arkle Challenge Trophy was won by Gaelic Warrior and it was a second consecutive winner for trainer Willie Mullins who has a strong record in this race. In 2023, El Fabiolo was in the winners’ enclosure for this race, with Shishkin and Edwardstone other notable victors.
There is the opportunity to bet each-way on the Arkle Challenge Trophy and you can often choose the number of places that you want to take. The smaller the number of places means that the bigger the odds tend to be. Simply select the each-way option on the bet slip.
The Arkle Challenge Trophy is a Grade One race which will be televised on a number of channels, although there’s also the chance to watch this being live streamed on a bookmaker site. The leading bookies have a Bet and Watch service where you can watch live action.
We always recommend comparing the odds to get the biggest price and understanding why the favourite is trading at the shortest odds. There is the opportunity to study the form and identify whether certain horses have gone up against each other, with each-way betting providing an alternative angle.