Arkle Challenge Trophy

The Arkle Challenge Trophy is the UK’s most prestigious 2 mile chase for novices. The race is renowned as a breeding ground for future Champion Chase winners.

2024 Arkle Challenge Trophy Preview

No outright favourite has emerged for the 2024 Arkle Challenge Trophy, with three Irish horses jockeying for the position of favourite – Gaelic Warrior, Found a Fifty & Il Etatit Temps.

Gaelic Warrior won the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick in December before unseating his rider in a literal two horse race at Leopardstown. His backers are keeping the faith, with Gaelic Warrior trading at under 4/1 heading into the race and not looking the best valuye bet.

Found a Fifty and Il Etait Temps both come into the Cheltenham Festival with recent Grade 1 wins in Ireland. The latter won the Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown in February, beating Found a Fifty. Found a Fifty, meanwhile, emerged as a winning in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at the same course in December.

Both horses have a preference for heavier ground, which means their prospects in the race could be impacted if Cheltenham produces firmer ground on race day, opening the race up to a local prospect. Of these JPR One looks like a value bet, coming into the Arkle on the back of a recent win in a Grade 2 at Lingfield.

Results

# Jersey Runner BEST ODDS
*Form data excludes P2P races and is for the last 6 races of any type (incl. both NH and Flat)
Indicated odds were updated on 2024-03-12 11:59:02 UTC. Please note that odds are subject to change.

Arkle Challenge Trophy Tips

*Note: Betting tips are only displayed on the day of the race.

Nap Time Racecourse Tipster Best odds
Indicated odds were updated on 2024-03-28 4:37:03 UTC. Please note that odds are subject to change.

2024 Arkle Challenge Trophy Tips & Analysis

Our featured tipsters are showing little consensus for the Arkle in 2024, with every one backing a different horse and none getting behind joint-favourite, Gaelic Warrior.

Templegate is the form tipster in the list, and he’s backing Gaelic Warrior’s rival, Il Etait Temps.

At the prices on offer there’s plenty of value to be had on going with the form tipster, however, don’t miss out on hedging your bets by backing him at Boylesports. If he finishes second to Gaelic Warrior you’ll get your losing stake back as a free bet.

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Odds Comparison

About the Arkle Challenge Trophy

The Arkle Challenge Trophy is ]the most prestigious 2 mile novices chase in the United Kingdom, and the first steeplechase run at the Cheltenham Festival annually. It is open to 5-year-old and above novice chasers. The race takes place on the Cheltenham Old Course, with 13 fences cleared on the way to the finishing post.

Named after one of the most beloved Cheltenham Gold Cup winners of all time, the Arkle has produced several Queen Mother Champion Chase winners. However, a win in the Arkle is a major career achievement in its own right and the race is easily the most popular novices chase run at the Cheltenham Festival.

Like the Supreme Novices Hurdle, the Arkle Challenge Trophy’s betting markets are distorted by its position in the race card. As the first chase of the festival it draws a lot of attention and it’s not uncommon for the favourite to run out under-priced.  However, because the race does draw some extremely talented horses, the market can still be quite good at picking a winner, particularly when a horse starts at under Evens.

Other than that form is key to winning the Arkle Challenge Trophy. Wins in Grade 1 or 2 races prior to the Arkle single out the genuine contenders, and a win last time out is a virtual requirement to be taken seriously for this race. However, this aside don’t be afraid of looking at horses trading at higher prices – a 33/1 entry won the Arkle as recent as 2014.

Recent Winners

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainer
2023El Fabiolo6Paul TownendWillie Mullins
2022Edwardstone8Tom CannonAlan King
2021Shishkin7Nico de BoinvilleNicky Henderson
2020Put The Kettle On6Aidan ColemanHenry de Bromhead
2019Duc des Genievres6Paul TownendWillie Mullins