Racing Post Novice Chase 2026 Betting Odds

2025 Racing Post Novice Chase Betting Tips

Kopek Des Bordes is one of the favourites to win the 2026 Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The Willie Mullins-trained charge was a facile winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the previous meeting, with the horse now aiming to have a highly successful chasing career. Things started well with a thirteen-length Beginners Chase victory.

That came as no surprise considering the horse was a heavy odds-on favourite, with the runner previously slipping up at Punchestown in the Champion Novice Hurdle. Perhaps that fourth-placed finish as the heavy favourite means we can’t be completely certain that the runner claims a victory and there are other viable contenders.

Romeo Coolio has clocked up a couple of wins and Gordon Elliott will be targeting a victory in this festive encounter. The six-year-old was a brilliant winner at Fairyhouse at the end of November, with an eight-length success getting the job done in the Drinmore Novice Chase. That came after a Beginners Chase victory was landed at Down Royal by fourteen lengths.

July Flower is another six-year-old who can score an each-way spot and perhaps challenge hard based on some bright efforts. There was a mid-October success at Limerick and then came a more impressive victory at Cheltenham. The 6/5 favourite was able to score in the Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase.

2023 Racing Post Novice Chase Tips

Facile Vega is currently joint-favourite to win the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, with the six-year-old having recently beaten seventeen other contenders at Navan. It was a solid victory by nearly four lengths when getting the better of Inthepocket, with this coming after a super-comfortable success in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

However, the horse was beaten in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last March when sent off as the 9/4 favourite and there are plenty of lively contenders who could lower his colours here. That includes Blood Destiny who is a talented four-year-old who is open to further progression, with a recent victory coming at Naas against three other horses.

Il Etait Temps is yet another Mullins runner with solid credentials. Towards the end of November, the charge lined up at Thurles and secured a win by four and a half lengths, with the runner now needing to find seven and a half lengths on Facile Vega considering the latter was able to win by that margin at Punchestown.

Mister Policeman makes up the leading quartet of Mullins horses in the betting market, with the five-year-old recording a solid win at Fairyhouse last time out. The victory hardly came as a surprise considering he was the 4/9 favourite, with Found A Fifty the best chance for Gordon Elliott and the six-year-old could easily hit the frame.