Arkle Chase

14:10 Cheltenham - Arkle Chase

Arkle lines up with 11 runners with Edwardstone flying the flag for Britain currently favourite in the market. Edwardstone is on a roll this season and chasing seems to have made him this season having won 4 of his 5 races this season beating some creditable opponents on the British soil.

The problem maybe though for Edwardstone is he hasn't come up against any of the top Irish novice 2-mile chasers this season and there is a whole host of them behind him in the market.

Blue Lord ran well in the supreme last year before falling but has looked good this season over his fences and remains unbeaten over them. Wasn't entirely convinced though by his last performance though at Leopardstown and I feel he was a little lucky against Riviere D'etel who had she not jumped badly at the last may have won that race. She gets a 7 pounds mare allowance against her opponents which could prove really helpful. The vibes from Gordon Elliot yard on Riviere D'etel are very positive I think they're expecting a big run.

Willie Mullins other runners Saint Sam & Haut En Couleurs are only aged 5 and the record of 5 years old winning the Arkle in recent years you have to go back to 2006 when the last 5-year-old won it which isn't a great trend if you fancy a 5-year-old horse winning this race. Although Saint Sam does have some form round here at Cheltenham finishing 2nd at the festival last year in the boodles.

Magic Daze is another with a mare allowance which will help her in this race and certainly isn't without an each way chance given she has shown some good form over in Ireland considering Henry De Bromhead yard have not been so consistent as they were last season.

My selection is the other Henry De Bromhead horse Coeur Sublime. Twice this season he has been behind Ferny Hollow (Who more than likely would have been favourite for this race had he not been ruled out with injury) so he has competed with the best this season. Forget the runs at Christmas when Henry De Bromhead yard wasn't firing at all.

I just find it interesting Rachel Blackmore chose to ride Coeur Sublime over Magic Daze as I assume she would have had the choice out of the two. Coeur Sublime always seems to run in the better quality of races throughout his career in his Hurdling days and I don't think this is the strongest Arkle going this season. At a bigger double figure price, I just feel perhaps Coeur Sublime is being overlooked in what I think although isn't that strong has the potential for being wide open.

written by Luke Tucker