Cheltenham Festival 2019 Day 1 Tips – Arkle Chase

All Cheltenham Preview evenings would have informed you that this year’s Arkle is not a vintage renewal but there is due to be a dozen runners and it looks competitive if not the strongest edition of the race ever run.

Glen Forsa looks likely to challenge favouritism for Mick Channon. The 150 rated novice began the season as a novice hurdler, got into a handicap chase off his hurdle rating and won by two-lengths off a rating of 114. Connections could surely have never even dreamt of being near the head of the betting for the Arkle but his 19-length triumph over Kalashnikov last time has catapulted him here.

Lalor is vying for favouritism and while this would be a brilliant story and Lalor was a very good hurdler, his chasing form just doesn’t inspire and it’s questionable if he’ll want it as soft as it may be at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

A bit like the Supreme Novices’…

the advice here is to take an each-way stance on this race but there’s value there to do it.

If you were to pick one of the Irish runners declared to be a contender for this race at the start of the season it probably would have been Paloma Blue who was fourth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

He is just 10/1 for BoyleSports ambassador Robbie Power but his jumping is questionable and surely not good enough to win an Arkle.

Duc Des Genievres is a 151 rated runner but hasn’t done enough to convince Ruby Walsh to ride him and Walsh sits out the race altogether.

The value in this race looks to be in Articulum, Ornua or Us And Them. Terence O’Brien’s Articulum will relish the soft ground but he might just lack a run here.

Ornua was over at Christmas and test the English form when splitting Dynamite Dollars and Lalor. There’s little to suggest why Lalor might turn that form around so Ornua could easily run into a place here again but Us And Them is the one picked out here for Joseph O’Brien and JJ Slevin.

With Fakir D’oudairies in the opening race for the same trainer/jockey combination, this could be some hour for the cousins if Us And Them could run well here.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that if Le Richebourg hadn’t been ruled out of the Arkle he’d probably been odds on here. Us And Them has managed to follow him home in two Leopardstown Grade 1’s and with form on easier ground too…

this six-year-old by Stowaway should outrun his odds of 14/1.

Recommended Bet:
Us And Them (14/1) – Arkle Chase

*Prices correct at time of publication.