Arkle Challenge Trophy Form

The Arkle form is very well establish before the main contenders line up for this championship race. Throughout the National Hunt season these novice chasers go through their paces in the various trials and hope to arrive at Cheltenham fit and with enough jumping experience to ensure they run their race on the day.

The Arkle is run over the minimum distance at two miles and it is important therefore that your fancy has a good cruising speed especially if the gorund at Prestbury Park on the day is good or better. It is useful to consider previous Novice hudle winners at the Cheltenham Festival in races such as the Ballymore novices hurlde in the previous year as these novices are likely contenders for the Arkle in the following year.

As the season progresses we shall be putting up the Arkle form for the major players and this will ensure that you are backing a horse that has the form inthe book to take this Cheltenham Festival race.

Arkle 2009 Latest Form Guide

Nicky Henderson's chasing newcomer Afsoun was eased from 18/1 to 20/1 by Stan James for the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival having got up in the shadows of the post on his chase debut in November. He will have to fence with more fluency than he did at Warwick if he is to take high rank in the 2m novice chasers but he has speed to burn and looks sure to improve for the experience.

Oumeyade for Jim Lewis won the Novice Chase on the Haldon Cup card at Exeter and was given a quote of 20/1 for the Arkle Trophy.

At the head of the betting is Tatenen who won very impressively in the Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase at the Paddy Power Cheltenham Open meeting beating Staw Bear by a distance and looks the one to beat come March. However he could only managed to come second in the Durkin Novice Chase at Leopardstown at Xmas and has drifted in the betting while still favourite for the race. Follow the Plan who beat him in the race has seen his odds shorten.

In the John O'Gaunt Novices' Chase at Leicester in November Kalahari King was impressive and what stood out was his jumping. He won well and entered the market at around 12/1 and this could be a good each way alternative to the favourite as many of the Nicholls runners will not participate and this could leave you with a good ante post bet.

In the Henry VIII Novices´ Chase on Tingle Creek Day we saw one of the races of the season between Araldur and Free World who fought out a great finish in an excellent time equal to that of Master Minded on the same day. These two could just be very good and it will be interesting to see how they progress over the season.

Jayo was introduced into the Arkle betting at 16/1 with Stan James following his victory in the Novice Chase at Naas in early January with a round of jumping described as "electric" by winning jockey Ruby Walsh.

After his impressive victory at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day Calgary Bay has continued to be backed and is now 10-1 (from 12) for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival despite his trainer Henrietta Knight’s uncertainty as to which route the six-year-old may take.

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• Arkle Challenge Trophy Race Information
• Arkle Challenge Trophy Odds
• Arkle Challenge Trophy Tips
• Arkle Challenge Trophy Form
• Arkle Challenge Trophy Results