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.
2026 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
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Cheltenham tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? 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 2026 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 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -4.61. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Arkle Challenge Trophy.
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 NRNB 10 Mar @ 14:00 - AntePost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lulamba | 2.25 | |
| Kopek Des Bordes | 3.50 | |
| Romeo Coolio | 4.00 | |
| Kargese | 5.50 | |
| Irish Panther | 13.00 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 2016 3:48.60 | Douvan (FR) 6yo 11-4 1/4F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Arkle Challenge Trophy have been based:
- GB: 11 winners with an additional 16 placings from 116 runners
- IRE: 9 winners with an additional 16 placings from 75 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 6 runners
2025 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 six times, with those six winners coming from Un De Sceaux (2015), Douvan (2016), Footpad (2018), Duc Des Genievres (2019), El Fabiolo (2023) and Gaelic Warrior (2024). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Arkle Challenge Trophy are Nicky Henderson (5 wins), Alan King (3 wins) and Henry De Bromhead (2 wins). There is one trainer who has not had the best of times in the Arkle Challenge Trophy; Paul Nicholls has sent a total of 12 runners to the race without recording any wins.
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 | 26-6-10 | -10.15 | -9.94 |
| Nicky Henderson | 15-5-10 | -3.05 | +1.75 |
| Alan King | 5-3-3 | +11.50 | +6.10 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 15-2-4 | +9.00 | +4.83 |
| 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 | 12-0-1 | -12.00 | -11.33 |
| 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 | 9-3-4 | +2.10 | -0.24 |
| Nico de Boinville | 5-3-4 | +3.69 | +3.81 |
| Tom Cannon | 1-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.50 |
| Rachael Blackmore | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
| 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 |
2026 Arkle Challenge Trophy Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 7, 2, 3, F, 8, 4, 1, 1, (2, 3), 1, 1, 1, 1, 7, 6, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number 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 (70%) - Highest Won is not G3/LST/Cl2/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (73%) - Beaten no more -2½l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Achieved an RPR of 140+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Achieved a TS of 123+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Ran over 1m4f - 2m4f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - No bigger than 6/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Beaten no more -17l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Had 1 - 9 wins (Jockey)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 5 - 20 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 143+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Break of 17 - 114 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not BL/BR/CH in colour
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Break of 17 - 132 days (Last Win)
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 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 7 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 19 winners from a total of 188 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 9 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Arkle Challenge Trophy; that stallion is Oscar, who has failed to produce a winner from 5 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. Ahead of the 2026 Arkle Challenge Trophy, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
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 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2016 - Douvan Leopardstown - 1st of 3 (1/14) | Irish Arkle Novice 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 | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Jango Baie (FR) 6yo - 5/1 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Puturhandstogether (IRE) 4yo - 17/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Myretown (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo - 25/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo - 7/2 | Rebecca Curtis Ben Jones |
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 | The New Lion (GB) 6yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Lecky Watson (IRE) 7yo - 20/1 | W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Coral Cup | Jimmy Du Seuil (FR) 6yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo - 5/2 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 5/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Jazzy Matty (FR) 6yo - 15/2 | Cian Collins Danny Gilligan |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 4/1 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
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 | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 6yo - 16/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 7/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Bob Olinger (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Fact To File (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Doddiethegreat (IRE) 9yo - 25/1 | Nicky Henderson Brian Hughes |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Daily Present (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Paul Nolan Mr B T Stone |
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 | Poniros (GB) 4yo - 100/1 | W P Mullins Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Kargese (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 6/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 7yo - 15/2 | Gavin Cromwell Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Wonderwall (IRE) 9yo - 28/1 | S Curling Mr R James |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 5yo - 9/2 | Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan |
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
