Adam O’Brien is a seasoned horse racing tipster with a particular focus on Cheltenham Festival ante-post betting. With years of experience analysing form, trainer patterns, and festival trends, Adam provides expert insights to help punters navigate the high-stakes world of National Hunt racing. Known for his clear, practical advice and knack for spotting value in early markets, he has built a reputation among both casual punters and serious Festival followers.
The Arkle Novices’ Chase at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival is one of the most competitive two-mile novice chases, and our expert tips highlight the top contenders, potential upsets, and value bets to help punters navigate Day 1’s second race at Cheltenham.
The Cheltenham Tuesday race provides a test for racing’s best national hunt chasers over the minimum trip of just under two miles, and this race is always one of the highlights of the Cheltenham Festival week.
The race is named after racing legend Arkle, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in the 1960s. The second race of the Cheltenham Festival is the Arkle Chase, due off at 2.00pm on Tuesday 11th March.
This race has really been a huge stepping stone for some great horses, who have gone on to achieve further glory in their careers. Previous winners include Moscow Flyer, a dual winner of the Tingle Creek; Sprinter Sacre (2012), Timeform’s third-best Chaser ever and Altior, who shone over a glittering 21-win career, which included 10 Grade 1s.
See our Arkle Trophy 2026 tips below with a preview of the race and a look at the main contenders.
2.10pm – Arkle Novices Chase Betting Tip
With 6 weeks until the Arkle and around a week (at the time of writing) until the Irish version at the Dublin Racing Festival 2026, this race is somewhat murky. The reason for this is due to the uncertainty at the top end of the market, with rumours of Kopek Des Bordes’ well-being heavily talked about and ‘discussed’ in the racing channels. The betting suggests the 2025 Supreme winner won’t be making his target at the DRF (after already missing his engagement at Christmas due to a small setback in his knee) and as a result has drifted for the main event in March.
That added to the uncertainty around 3rd fav Romeo Coolio’s destination at Prestbury Park has meant Lulamba has shortened to a skinny 6/4 for the race. The KTDA team have said they will decide late on whether their horse takes in the Arkle on Day 1 or wait 24 hours to go up in trip in the 3m Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. If Gordon Elliott’s horse goes to the DRF on Saturday and runs in the Arkle, I would be surprised if he were to then step up all the way to the Brown Advisory trip.
I believe Romeo Coolio should be going up in trip, and I would happily take him on at 2m (just short of) at Cheltenham. He’s a good yardstick, but I think Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba will have too much speed for him.
The race does look like having some depth to it (if the 3 above turn up), and it would be grand if the majority of the top 6-7 in the betting go to post. It also wouldn’t surprise me if we have another race like last year, though, and an outsider wins the race. Kargese, Irish Panther and Mambonumberfive are certainly not without a chance.
At the prices, though, and because I love a risky ante-post punt, I would suggest the play here is backing KOPEK DES BORDES (3/1) and I think he’s too big at 3/1. It’s almost like it has been inevitable that he was going to be ruled out for the season or have confirmation of a setback of some sort, over the last week or so. That hasn’t arrived, and with little snippets of comments from Closutton that show a sign of positivity, I’m happy to believe that he’s going to get to the Arkle. And if he does get there (even off 1 run), he won’t be going off at 3/1. He is laden with ability, and if any horse can win an Arkle in 2026 off of 1 chase run, then it’s going to be a horse trained by Willie Mullins.
Arkle Novices Chase Tip
Free Bets for Cheltenham Day 1
2026 Arkle Trends from the Cheltenham Festival
- Favourite Wins: The market favourite has won 4 of the last 10 renewals, showing the importance of backing well-supported runners.
- Irish-Trained Success: Irish-trained horses have taken 7 of the last 10 Arkle titles, highlighting the dominance of yards like Willie Mullins.
- Age Profile: Most winners are 5- or 6-year-olds, with older novices rarely successful.
- Grade 1 Form: 8 of the last 10 winners had previously run in a Grade 1 novice chase or hurdle.
- Chase Experience: Horses with 1-2 runs over fences are far more likely to win than complete novices.
- Trial Races: Strong performances in the Drinmore Novice Chase, November Novices’ Chase, or similar trials often indicate Arkle success.
- Jockey Record: Experienced Festival jockeys have a high strike rate, with riders like Paul Townend, Rachael Blackmore, and Davy Russell regularly featuring among winners.
- Market Position: 9 of the last 10 winners were in the top 3 in the betting, showing ante-post market reliability.
- Track Adaptability: Horses proven on soft or testing ground have a slightly higher winning percentage, as Cheltenham often presents tricky conditions.
- Winning Margins: Most winners prevail by 1–3 lengths, so races are competitive; tactical speed and jumping efficiency are crucial.
Arkle Novices Chase Key Facts
🏇 Race type: Grade 1 Novices’ Chase
📅 Date: Tuesday 10th March 2026
📍 Venue: Cheltenham Racecourse
📏 Distance: About 2 miles (3,219 metres)
🏆 Cheltenham Festival Day: Day 1 (Tuesday)
🐎 Age restriction: 5-6 years
⚖️ Weight: 11st 7lb (allowances for mares and novices)
🏟️ Course: Old Course
⏱️ Typical winning time: Around 3 minutes 50–4 minutes (varies with ground)
📊 Race history: First run in 1956; notable for producing top-class two-mile novice chasers; often dominated by Irish-trained horses
🌟 Key attributes: Speed and agility over fences, efficient jumping, ability to handle a strong early pace, and experience in competitive 2-mile novice chases