Cheltenham 2014 : Nicholls duo look the call in the Arkle Trophy

Only one of the last 23 Arkle Trophy winners have gone off bigger than 11-1 so it makes sense to keep your research down to the top horses listed in the field for the second race of the day on Tuesday afternoon which is the opening one at Cheltenham.

Champagne Fever is the 3/1 favourite with bet365 and with the firm guarantee best price on every horse from all races shown live on Channel 4 then there is no need to look elsewhere when placing your Cheltenham bets. This offer applies to any bet placed from 10am each day.

The Wille Mullins runner won the Supreme last year and the stats suggest that this is good news for supporters as seven of the last 11 winners of this race had won at Cheltenham previously and five of the last nine had finished in the first four of a novice hurdle at this meeting in the previous season. Cheltenham form can not be called into question for Fever though of concern is just a third place finish last time out on the track on Boxing Day at Leopardstown. In addition eight of the last ten winners had run a prep race within the last 52 days and Fever has not appeared on course since December 26th.

Rock on Ruby is the 9/2 second favourite and the Irish horse comes here seeking a third straight victory following success at Doncaster and Plumpton. The Harry Fry runner also has a Cheltenham course victory which came two years ago in the Champion Hurdle and was followed last year with a second place finish to Hurricane Fly in the same race. The downside could be the age of the horse at nine-years-old as nine of the last ten winners of this race were aged between five and seven. Also 9/2 is Trifolium who comes here on the back of a victory at Leopardstown in the Arkle Novice Chase in January. The seven-year-old saw off Felix Yonger among others although no Irish Arkle winner has followed up here for 19 years. Supporters of the horse though can take heart from a third at Cheltenham in 2012 in the Supreme although an injury worry to Bryan Cooper the likely jockey is a big concern.

Dodging Bullets is a 5/1 chance and the six-year-old comes here on the back of three victories and a second from last four starts. The Paul Nicholls runner won at Kempton in October before following up with a victory at Cheltenham in November and then success at Kempton in December. The one defeat came when giving up weight to an older horse in Module at Newbury in February. The Kempton race is a clear pointer for followers of trends as this race has provided the Arkle winner for the last two seasons. Valdez is a 9/1 shot and the Alan King runner is in great form with three straight victories though this looks a step up in class from recent glories and I think others offer more appeal. Grandouet is a 10/1 hope and represents the Nicky Henderson yard that won this race in the two previous years. The horse though has some ten lengths to make up Dodging Bullets from a run in December and was a faller last year at Cheltenham.

VERDICT: The headline selection though is DODGING BULLETS though who has course, distance and class to land the race ahead of Trifolium, Champagne Fever and Rock on Ruby.

Go To bet365

#Ad

11/03/2014     © Frixo 2026