#Sporting Life Arkle

Planet Sport's tipsters and betting experts have been studying the form to give you the best chance of success at the Festival. First up we'll give you a quick list of the horses with the best chances for the main five races that are being shown on ITV this Tuesday afternoon. Then for those of you that like a bigger price we have a handful of juicy…

Nicky Henderson's Jonbon was safely tucked away in his Seven Barrows box at Christmas but he still got some festive cheer when Boothill won the Wayward Lad at Kempton. Before that boost - he had easily seen off Harry Fry's horse in the Henry VIII at Sandown - his chasing form had little substance to it (in terms of what he had beaten), even if he…

Straw Fan Jack has won two of his three starts over fences for owner Graham Wilson, including taking the scalp of Gordon Elliott's Ash Tree Meadow when landing the two-mile squareintheair.com Novices' Chase under Sean Houlihan at Cheltenham in October. The grey then had his colours lowered by Frere D'Armes in the Fulke Walwyn Trophy at Newbury the…

Gavin Beech puts the six short-priced, ante-post favourites for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival under the microscope and provides his analysis on their credentials. There are currently six horses chalked up at 6-4 or shorter in the ante-post markets for this year's Cheltenham Festival, with Constitution Hill, who is a best-priced 4-11 for the Unibet…

Despite getting a few things wrong, Tahmuras made it three from three over hurdles as he stepped up in grade to land the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown. He made mistakes at the last two flights and still looked green as he wandered on the run-in, but he saw the race out well under testing conditions. There is clearly more to come as he gains experience…

By Andrew Asquith, Friday 06 January 2023 Posted in: Cheltenham Festival Tips Andrew Asquith looks ahead to the 2023 Champion Chase and picks out his best ante-post bet. The entries for the 2023 Champion Chase were made earlier this week and one of the most notable absentees was 2021 Sporting Life Arkle winner Shishkin, who was pulled up when…

1pt win Ballygriffincottage in Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at 16/1 (Coral, Unibet, Ladbrokes, bet365) There might not be a huge amount of strength in depth when it comes to the British novice chasers this year but Sporting Life Arkle favourite Jonbon obviously looks the real deal, while the likes of Thyme Hill and The Real Whacker have thrown…

Ruby Walsh has offered his expert insight into the upcoming Cheltenham Festival with the legendary jockey expecting another thrilling week of action in England. Walsh is no stranger to Cheltenham having been the leading jockey 11 times at the Festival, nabbing 59 winners and twice racing to Gold Cup glory. And previewing the races, Walsh is backing…

It was a shame Edwardstone unseated Tom Cannon at the fifth in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton. He had been brilliant in the Tingle Creek and this was supposed to be further evidence that he's ready to have a real crack at Energumene in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Alas, it wasn't to be, but at least he returned unscathed and the Champion…

The sextet includes a brace of Grade One prizes with Blue Lord capturing the Paddy Power Rewards Club Chase and Facile Vega maintaining his unbeaten record in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle. Winter Fog made a winning start for the yard when coming clear in the Paddy Power'Je Suis Une Baguette' Handicap Hurdle while the Closutton…

Having only found the mighty Jonbon too good last time out in the Grade One Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown Park, Boothill came home the ultimately comfortable winner of the Grade Two Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices' Chase over two miles at Kempton Park on Tuesday, day two of the Ladbrokes Christmas Festival. With 13-8 Favourite…

Willie Mullins hailed a sensational six-timer at Leopardstown on Tuesday - with a 102-1 multiple that included a pair of Grade 1 wins - as one of the best days of his training career. Victory in the concluding bumper at Limerick with 11-8 favourite Largy Hill made it an across-the-card seven-timer on the day - a feat that matched his previous best…

Willie Mullins towered over his rivals at Leopardstown on Tuesday, saddling six of the seven winners on the card, including both Grade 1s, at combined odds of 102-1. The champion trainer saddled each of the first five winners before his winning streak was halted in the Paddy Power Chase by 33-1 shot Real Steel. However, Fact To File completed a…

Having only found the mighty Jonbon too good last time out in the Grade One Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown Park, Boothill came home the ultimately comfortable winner of the Grade Two Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices' Chase. With 13/8 favourite Lac De Constance unseating Harry Skelton at the eighth fence, Boothill made smooth…

One-time Derby favourite High Definition made a successful start to his jumping career in the opening race of the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown. The Galileo colt looked every inch a Classic contender in the making after charging home to win the Beresford Stakes as a two-year-old, but had failed to get his head in front in 12 subsequent…

Saint Roi and Lossiemouth were the highlights of a sparkling Willie Mullins treble at Leopardstown on Monday. The former came from last to first to open his account over fences in the Brand New Racing Post App Novice Chase at Leopardstown. Fourth in the Irish Champion Hurdle, the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle…

I'm going over to Leopardstown on Boxing Day to ride NUSRET in the Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle and I'm really looking forward to it. I worked Nusret around the Curragh the other day and I really liked what I felt, he's a lovely horse and it'll be nice to see where he ranks in the juvenile pecking order this year. I'm hoping he'll be there…

A dominant winner on his first start for Willie Mullins at Tramore on New Year's Day, the five-year-old did not run again until pushing Nicky Henderson's Jonbon close in a Grade One novice hurdle at Aintree in the spring. On the strength of that form, he was a short price for his reappearance and first start over the larger obstacles in the Irish…

It's time to get excited everyone as one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar, the Cheltenham Festival, is about to get underway. Jump racing's elite will descend upon Cheltenham this week with the 2022 edition kicking off on Tuesday and there are plenty of exciting runners to keep your eye out for. Fans will be back in their numbers to…

Last season's Sporting Life Arkle hero was always travelling sweetly under Tom Cannon and was hard on the bridle as he chased his only serious rival going to the second last. He settled it in a matter of strides too, going clear to score by nine lengths. Shishkin was well-held in third after a mistake at the Pond Fence. "I couldn't believe how well…

eel the roar greeting the opener at the Cheltenham Festival this afternoon and you will soon realise how much you missed it. With two novice races of nine runners or less, day one reflects the field-size issues that have become a major concern in British racing - yet the opener still goes back in time. Nicky Henderson supplies a hot favourite and…

Dusart was sent off favourite for the open 3m handicap hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday, but could finish only sixth behind his stable companion Captain Morgs. Both runners attracted support, but it was Captain Morgs that coped better with the way the race unfolded. The omission of the final hurdle due to the low sun meant the tempo lifted only after…

Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond offers her analysis and selections for day one of the Cheltenham Festival, kicking off with a belter of a Supreme. So here we are again. The festival always seems an age away and then… bang, it's arrived! The question is, are you thoroughly overwhelmed with information, or have you just started to dip your toe into…

No horse in training has a higher Timeform rating than Shishkin, who earned a figure of 181 for his stirring success over Energumene in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January. That performance in a race for the ages took Shishkin's record over fences to seven from seven and, for some context on what he achieved on the form book, it earned him…

The two rising stars of the two-mile chasing division look set to go to head-to-head in what could be an epic edition of the Wednesday feature at the sporting event Shishkin ridden by Nico de Boinville jumps the last fence to win the 2021 Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase Shishkin and Energumene are being readied for a fascinating…

Top tipster Simon Rowlands has four bets online for the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday, including an each-way selection in the Champion Hurdle. The question of what is the ideal preparation for the Cheltenham Festival is usually confined to the horses, but I find myself wondering whether being battle-hardened or fresh as a daisy…

Many a true word is said in jest as the saying goes and I was reminded of that maxim when reading a tweet early last week that said there would be more Festival clues at Fairyhouse last Tuesday than there had been at Cheltenham the previous weekend. Given the star entries at Ascot's upcoming weekend fixture, I doubt the poster also had it in the…

The furore around the ground at Ascot and the withdrawal of Constitution Hill meant the quality of Boothill's performance in winning the Hurst Park Handicap Chase went under the radar. It shouldn't have done: Boothill, having just his third start over fences, put up a performance that would put him right in the mix for any graded novice chase…

The dramatic late falls of Annie Power, in 2015, and Benie Des Dieux, in 2019, reputedly saved bookmakers many millions as both were the last leg of numerous accumulators featuring short-priced runners for punters. This year's meeting once again sees a number of horses chalked up at cramped odds, but will they be bankers or blowouts? Sporting Life…

L'Homme Presse takes what connections hope will be the first step towards a Gold Cup challenge in the Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase at Ascot. The seven-year-old, trained by Venetia Williams, was an impressive winner of the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham in March and connections believe he will continue to progress and make up into a blue riband…

There was no one standout performance over the three days of Cheltenham's November meeting, but for my money, Banbridge is the horse that did the most to stake his claim for top honours. Banbridge is already a Cheltenham Festival winner, having landed the Martin Pipe over hurdles last spring, but physically he's very much a chaser, a rangy gelding…

Joseph O'Brien's charge, who took the Martin Pipe at the Festival in March and landed a novice chase at Gowran on his fencing debut last month, was always travelling and jumping sweetly under J J Slevin. Tommy's Oscar likewise tanked through the race but after momentarily being short of room turning in, it soon became clear he wasn't going to get…

PUNTERS have been celebrating after Paddy Power paid out a Cheltenham Festival bet five MONTHS early. The bookie settled all bets on Jonbon to win the Arkle - even though the horse might not even run in the race. One punter showed his £50 bet on Jonbon to win at 15-2 returning a tasty £425. The Irish bookmaker said they decided to pay out after…

Unfortunately, Timeform's highest-rated jumper in training Chacun Pour Soi fluffed his lines in the big race of the day, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which instead went to the admirable mare Put The Kettle On - who created her own piece of history by becoming the first mare to win the race. However, the fact that the field finished in something…

Alan King has enjoyed some memorable days at Cheltenham's November Meeting over the years, perhaps none more so than when Annacotty won the Paddy Power Gold Cup back in 2015. Not only was it his first win in that prestigious contest, but it was a success made even sweeter by the fact that Annacotty was out of the mare Mini Moo Min, who had provided…

American Mike and Jack Kennedy land the opening maiden hurdle at Down Royal Friday: Down Royal Talk beforehand was whether Gordon Elliott could go through the card on day one of the Ladbrokes festival of racing. That was scuppered early, but a haul of four on the day was more than satisfactory, and featured talented bumper horse American…

Gordon Elliott's domination of Down Royal's two-day festival looks almost guaranteed to continue after the trainer declared a host of his most talented troops for battle at the track on Friday. Among them are leading Cheltenham contenders American Mike and Mighty Potter. Some 15 of the 28 races staged at the meeting over the last two years have…

Plenty of horses trained in Ireland understandably catching the punters' attention after the recent festive action. Shorteners with Sky Bet include Sunday Naas winner Ginto who looks a player in the staying novice hurdle division in March - and a Willie Mullins-trained, Sussanah Ricci-owned French import in Allegorie De Vassy. She impressed with…

86 - the number of runners Alan King has saddled at the Cheltenham Festival since his last winner Only four British-based trainers - Nicky Henderson (twice), Sue Smith, Jonjo O'Neill and Will Biddick - hit the target at last year's Cheltenham Festival as no fewer than 23 of the 28 races held at the fixture were won by their Irish counterparts. That…

THE Cheltenham Festival is back in person this week - which is basically Christmas for racing fans across Britain and Ireland. You will no doubt be hearing tips from all corners as to who is likely to win the top prizes on offer at the annual race meet but only a few truly know what they're talking about when it comes to spying a winner or…

It was back in 1926 that Barbara Eupean Todd, the creator of Worzel Gummidge claimed that'Winter comes on the tail of the last St Leger horse'. With the entries for the Charlie Hall approaching and the Jumps stable tours coming think and fast, it's fair to say that winter is ranging up and ready to grab the lead. With that in mind the team at…

Punters and all racing fans are likely to be glued to their screens this weekend as huge races are set for the off, but nothing will quite capture the fans like the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday. The four runner race wouldn't usually appeal as much but the battle between the two along with the outside chances of First Flow and Amoola…

Ferny Hollow: was ante-post favourite for the day one two-mile novice chase showpiece Red-hot Sporting Life Arkle favourite Ferny Hollow will miss the Cheltenham Festival after suffering a suspensory ligament injury. A top-priced 6-4 favourite for the day one two-mile novice chase, Ferny Hollow will miss the remainder of the season. Willie Mullins…

Fresh from enjoying his best-ever Jump campaign, which included a first Cheltenham Festival success aboard Edwardstone in the Sporting Life Arkle Novices' Chase, the 31 year old will bid to prove the rider to beat once again in the unique contest for professional Jump jockeys having claimed the race 12 months ago aboard Berrahri and in 2015 aboard…