You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2027 Arkle Challenge Trophy Preview
The race is named in honour of Arkle, arguably the greatest steeplechaser of all time, who won three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups in the 1960s. Since its inception in 1969 (replacing the Cotswold Chase), it has become a "speed" championship for youngsters. A Grade 1 Chase for Novices over 2 miles on the Old Course at Cheltenham racecourse, for the Arkle Chase, we are on the lookout for a future star of steeplechasing.
Arkle winners, including Put The Kettle On, Altior, Sprinter Sacre, Sizing Europe, Voy Per Ustedes, Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop, Flagship Uberalles, Klairon Davis and Remittance Man have all gone on to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Master the Arkle Challenge Trophy with our expert analysis of past race data and trainer records, and enhance your betting strategy with our selection of Cheltenham free bets.
Arkle Challenge Trophy Information:
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Past Winners
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Trainer Statistics
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Cheltenham tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. We cover every race at the Cheltenham Festival, and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Arkle Challenge Trophy market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2025, when the race had an over-round of 110%. The race in 2017 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 134%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Arkle Challenge Trophy, the over-round has been 116%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £116 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Arkle Challenge Trophy Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Arkle Challenge Trophy Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Arkle Challenge Trophy races over the last 20 renewals:
- Western Warhorse (3:47.04) in 2014
- Douvan (3:48.60) in 2016
- Sprinter Sacre (3:51.10) in 2012
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Arkle Challenge Trophy next time out, then you would have backed a total of 10 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -3.61. Whilst we wait for the 2027 Arkle Challenge Trophy, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 3:47.04 was set by Western Warhorse in 2014, trained by David Pipe and ridden by Tom Scudamore, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2024 when Gaelic Warrior won in a time of 4:08.36 for trainer W P Mullins, who booked Paul Townend in the saddle.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
| Arkle Chase 16 Mar @ 14:00 - AntePost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Old Park Star | 5.00 | |
| Mydaddypaddy | 9.00 | |
| Kabral Du Mathan | 11.00 | |
| Sober Glory | 11.00 | |
| Narciso Has | 17.00 | |
| Brighterdaysahead | 17.00 | |
| Act Of Innocence | 21.00 | |
| Magnifico Conti | 21.00 | |
| Ill Sort That | 21.00 | |
| Hes On Fire | 21.00 | |
Arkle Challenge Trophy Past Winners
Here are the Arkle Challenge Trophy past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse that won, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Arkle Challenge Trophy are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 3:52.35 | Kargese (FR) 6yo 11-0 7/1 | Danny Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2025 3:53.57 | Jango Baie (FR) 6yo 11-7 5/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2024 4:08.36 | Gaelic Warrior (GER) 6yo 11-7 2/1F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 3:55.22 | El Fabiolo (FR) 6yo 11-7 11/10F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2022 3:51.32 | Edwardstone (GB) 8yo 11-4 5/2F | Tom Cannon Alan King (GB) |
| 2021 3:53.36 | Shishkin (IRE) 7yo 11-4 4/9F | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2020 4:08.14 | Put The Kettle On (IRE) 6yo 10-11 16/1 | Aidan Coleman Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2019 3:58.90 | Duc Des Genievres (FR) 6yo 11-4 5/1 | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2018 4:02.40 | Footpad (FR) 6yo 11-4 5/6F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2017 3:55.50 | Altior (IRE) 7yo 11-4 1/4F | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Arkle Challenge Trophy have been based:
- GB: 10 winners with an additional 15 placings from 112 runners
- IRE: 10 winners with an additional 17 placings from 73 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 4 runners
2026 Arkle Challenge Trophy Replay
Arkle Challenge Trophy Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Arkle Challenge Trophy over the last 20 renewals is W P Mullins, who has won the race seven times, with those seven winners coming from Un De Sceaux (2015), Douvan (2016), Footpad (2018), Duc Des Genievres (2019), El Fabiolo (2023), Gaelic Warrior (2024) and Kargese (2026). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Arkle Challenge Trophy are Nicky Henderson (5 wins), Henry De Bromhead (2 wins) and Alan King (2 wins). One trainer has not had the best of times in the Arkle Challenge Trophy; Paul Nicholls has sent a total of 11 runners to the race without recording a win.
Here are some of the top Arkle Challenge Trophy trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 27-7-12 | -3.15 | -4.89 |
| Nicky Henderson | 16-5-10 | -4.05 | +0.75 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 15-2-4 | +9.00 | +4.83 |
| Alan King | 4-2-2 | +4.00 | +1.60 |
| Philip Hobbs | 6-1-3 | +1.00 | -0.07 |
| David Pipe | 5-1-1 | +29.00 | +15.80 |
| Thomas Cooper | 1-1-1 | +8.00 | +4.00 |
| Paul Nicholls | 11-0-1 | -11.00 | -10.33 |
| Gordon Elliott | 7-0-1 | -7.00 | -5.85 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
Arkle Challenge Trophy Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Arkle Challenge Trophy over the last 20 renewals, with both Paul Townend and Nico de Boinville, who have both won the race three times. Paul Townend winners have been with Duc Des Genievres (2019), El Fabiolo (2023) and Gaelic Warrior (2024). Nico de Boinville winners have been with Altior (2017), Shishkin (2021) and Jango Baie (2025).
Here are some of the top Arkle Challenge Trophy jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Townend | 10-3-5 | +1.10 | -0.57 |
| Nico de Boinville | 6-3-4 | +2.69 | +2.81 |
| Danny Mullins | 3-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.23 |
| Tom Cannon | 2-1-1 | +1.50 | +0.50 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Keith Donoghue | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | +3.63 |
| Mark Walsh | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | -0.60 |
| Jonathan Burke | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.37 |
| Jack Kennedy | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.85 |
| Harry Skelton | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
2027 Arkle Challenge Trophy Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, 3, F, 8, 4, 1, 1, (2, 3), 1, 1, 1, 1, 7, 6, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 3
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Highest Won is not G3/LST/Cl2/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (73%) - Beaten no more -2½l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Achieved an RPR of 140+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Had 3 - 12 placings (Further)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Achieved a TS of 123+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - No bigger than 6/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Ran over 1m4f - 2m4f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Beaten no more -17l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 143+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Break of 17 - 114 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Highest Placed is not G3/LST/Cl2/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Had 1 - 9 wins (Jockey)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran in 5 - 20 races (Career)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Arkle Challenge Trophy. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Arkle Challenge Trophy by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Arkle Challenge Trophy Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +27.91, is when runners were aged 6.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 5 career wins, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-34.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Arkle Challenge Trophy is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 8 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Doncaster; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Doncaster last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 179 runners, while female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 10 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Western Warhorse in 2014, winning for David Pipe at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of Tom Scudamore. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 10 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the Arkle Challenge Trophy
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Arkle Challenge Trophy. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Kargese Leopardstown - 2nd of 3 (2/1) | Irish Arkle Novice Chase |
| 2025 - Jango Baie Sandown - 2nd of 4 (10/11) | Scilly Isles Novices' Chase |
| 2024 - Gaelic Warrior Leopardstown - UR of 2 (4/7) | Ladbrokes Novice Chase |
| 2023 - El Fabiolo Leopardstown - 1st of 8 (9/2) | Irish Arkle Novice Chase |
| 2022 - Edwardstone Warwick - 1st of 4 (10/11) | Virgin Bet Kingmaker Novices Chase |
| 2021 - Shishkin Doncaster - 1st of 4 (1/6) | Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Lightning Novices Chase |
| 2020 - Put The Kettle On Cheltenham - 1st of 4 (6/1) | Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase |
| 2019 - Duc Des Genievres Gowran Park - 1st of 17 (11/10) | BetVictor Beginners Chase |
| 2018 - Footpad Leopardstown - 1st of 5 (4/9) | Irish Arkle Novice Chase |
| 2017 - Altior Newbury - 1st of 4 (3/10) | Game Spirit Chase |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival
Prepare for the ROAR of the Cheltenham Festival on the opening day, when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle. The feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle | Old Park Star (IRE) 6yo - 15/8 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Kargese (FR) 6yo - 7/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Saratoga (IRE) 4yo - 10/1 | Padraig Roche Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Johnnywho (IRE) 9yo - 18/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Richie McLernon |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 7yo - 7/5 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Madara (FR) 7yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Holloway Queen (IRE) 6yo - 12/1 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival
The dust has settled on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and now on to day two. The feature on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. We also have the cross country scheduled on Wednesday, a race like Marmite, some love it, and some don't!
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Turners Novices Hurdle | King Rasko Grey (FR) 6yo - 11/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Kitzbuhel (FR) 6yo - 11/1 | W P Mullins Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham BetMGM Cup | Jingko Blue (FR) 7yo - 9/2 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Final Orders (GB) 10yo - 7/1 | Gavin Cromwell Conor Stone-Walsh |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Il Etait Temps (FR) 8yo - 5/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Martator (FR) 9yo - 66/1 | Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | The Mourne Rambler (IRE) 5yo - 15/2 | Noel Meade Colin Keane |
Schedule for Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival
Halfway through the festival and onto day three, where the Stayers Hurdle is the feature race. A hurdle race to test the stamina and see how can last up the Cheltenham hill.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Mares Novices Hurdle | White Noise (IRE) 6yo - 40/1 | Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls Tom Bellamy |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Meetmebythesea (IRE) 6yo - 9/1 | Ben Pauling Ben Jones |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 6yo - 5/6 | Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Home By The Lee (IRE) 11yo - 33/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien J J Slevin |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Heart Wood (FR) 8yo - 9/2 | Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Supremely West (IRE) 8yo - 100/30 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Ask Brewster (IRE) 7yo - 22/1 | Mrs C Williams Mr S Cotter |
Schedule for Friday at the Cheltenham Festival
The final day of the festival and the feature race that we have all been waiting for, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Irish have been fairly dominant in recent years.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle | Apolon De Charnie (FR) 4yo - 50/1 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Wilful (IRE) 7yo - 14/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 9yo - 11/8 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Johnnys Jury (IRE) 6yo - 20/1 | Jamie Snowden Gavin Sheehan |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Gaelic Warrior (GER) 8yo - 11/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Barton Snow (IRE) 9yo - 9/2 | J J O'Shea Mr Henry Crow |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 7yo - 10/1 | Henry De Bromhead Patrick M O'Brien |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Arkle Challenge Trophy Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Cheltenham Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Cheltenham racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in January
Races in January (Festival Trials Day)
- Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase
- Classic Novices' Hurdle
- Cleeve Hurdle
- Cotswold Chase
- International Hurdle
- JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial
- Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase
Races in April
Races in October (Showcase Meeting)
Races in November (November Meeting)
- Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
- Hyde Novices' Hurdle
- Shloer Chase
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
- JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
- Paddy Power Gold Cup
- Greatwood Hurdle
- November Meeting Handicap Chase
