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 ground at Prestbury Park on the day is good or better. It is useful to consider previous Novice hurdle winners at the Cheltenham Festival in races such as the Supreme Novices hurdle in the previous year as these novices are likely contenders for the Arkle in the following year.

Arkle Chase 2012 Racecard/Form

One of the first major contenders for the 2012 Arkle to have a run this season is the impressive Cue Card. The horse was fourth in the Supreme Novices Hurdle last season and looks ideally suited to the fences after winning on debut. Cue Card won the Mobile Novices Chase at Chepstow at the start of October with some ease to boost his arkle claims He fell next time though when he unseating Joe Tizzard at Cheltenham to harm his chances but nevertheless he is a major threat. Cue Card got himself back on track with a win at Newbury on New Years Eve as he beat a good field giving weight away to get his Cheltenham claims back on track.

Another horse to make his chasing debut this season is Menorah who was fifth in the Champion Hurdle last season for Philip Hobbs. He had his first run over fences at Exeter in the Goals Galore Novices Chase and looked the winner all the way before unseating Richard Johnson at the second last. After an unsuccessful return to hurdles Menorah has returned to chasing with two decent wins ahead of the Arkle. He won recently at Kempton in a Novices Chase ahead of Kumbeshwar and while he still made some worrying jumping mistakes he is still a class act on his day.

Ante Post Arkle favourite Peddlers Cross has made his debut over fences in the Golden Bear Beginners Chase at Bangor and duly scored for Donald McCain. He gave Hurricane Fly a great race in the Champion Hurdle last season and while his chasing debut was low on quality he jumped brilliantly and looked a real top quality chaser. He confirmed that promise with a second win at Bangor in slightly tougher company over the same course and distance, Peddlers jumped well again and continued to look a class act. Peddlers was was turned over by Sprinter Sacre at Kempton over Christmas though and looks to have a little bit to find with the Nicky Henderson horse.

The Supreme Novices Hurdle winner from last season, Al Ferof, has made his chasing debut and he impressed all with his win in the Independent Novices Chase at the Open Meeting. Paul Nicholls was happy with him as he jumped and travelled with style and he was slashed in the Arkle betting as a result. Al Ferof has followed that up with another win in the Henry VIII Novices Chase at Sandown, he could only win by a neck ahead of For Non Stop. Paul Nicholls decided to let Al Ferof run against the more experienced chasers in the Victor Chandler Chase next time out and he ran well to finish third. Timeform rated that run as the best novice run of the season despite the fact he never really looked like winning, he does though hold massive Arkle claims if he can run up to the same mark at Cheltenham.

We have seen the eagerly awaited chase debut of Sprinter Sacre at Doncaster and he duly hacked up in style. The Nicky Henderson horse was third in the Supreme Novices last season and looks to be the ideal Arkle horse as the Novice Chase division continues to hot up at the Festival. Sprinter Sacre has confirmed that potential with a brilliant win at Kempton over Christmas. He simply blew pre race favourite and Arkle contender Peddlers Cross out of the water in the Wayward Lad Novices Chase with a superb round of jumping to take Arkle favouritism.

• Arkle Chase Form 2010/11 Form Guide

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