Arkle Chase Tips & Odds
The Arkle Chase is the second race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival and one of the meeting’s most prestigious novice events. Read More
With the 2026 Festival now over, attention is already beginning to turn towards the 2027 renewal. The Arkle is the championship race for novice chasers over just short of two miles, and it usually takes a horse with speed, accurate jumping and the class to handle the demands of the Cheltenham hill.
Here you can check out the latest odds, runners and Cheltenham tips for the Grade 1 contest, while also exploring the history of the Arkle and finding out how to back the race with some of the best horse racing betting sites.
#AD 18+ Place a min £10 bet on Sportsbook on odds of min EVS (2.0), get £50 in Free Bet Builders, Accumulators or multiples to use on any sport. Rewards valid for 30 days. Only deposits via cards or Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
-
3
1/5 -
3
1/5 -
3
1/5 -
3
1/5 -
3
1/5 -
3
1/5
Arkle Chase Tips
The Arkle is often one of the easier novice races to start mapping out from a long way ahead, with the previous season’s top two-mile novice hurdlers, Supreme form horses like winner OLD PARK STAR and placed runners MYDADDYPADDY & SOBER GLORY and the odd non-stayer from longer hurdle races, like KABRAL DU MATHAN, all potential candidates for this division. Even so, it is still too early for a confident selection for 2027, with chasing debuts, trip choices and Festival plans still to become clearer. We will update this page with our expert Arkle tip once the leading contenders begin to show their hand over fences.
About the Arkle Chase
The Arkle Chase is a Grade 1 novice chase, which is run over just shy of two miles (one mile, seven furlongs, and 199 yards) and is traditionally held on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival, known as Champion Tuesday. The race is seen as ideal preparation for the following year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase, and winners of the Arkle regularly go on to complete that particular double the following year, with the 2017 winner Altior the most recent Arkle winner to achieve the feat, doing so in 2018.
The Arkle Challenge Trophy was first introduced to the Cheltenham Festival in 1969, and was named after the three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Arkle, who is largely considered to be the greatest National Hunt horse of all time. Arkle winners regularly follow up at the Cheltenham Festival later in their careers, and several horses have done so - Sizing Europe, Sprinter Sacre, Un De Sceaux, and Altior to name a few.
2026 Arkle Chase Result
The 2026 Arkle Chase went to KARGESE, who came home in front in the Grade 1 novice contest at the Cheltenham Festival, with Kopek Des Bordes finishing second and Lulamba taking third.
That result now stands as the latest piece of Arkle form on the board as attention begins to turn towards the 2027 renewal and the next wave of two-mile novice chasers.
You can watch the finish below, while elsewhere on this page you can compare the latest Arkle Chase odds, assess the likely runners and follow the early ante-post picture for Cheltenham Festival 2027.
Arkle Challenge Trophy Key Trends
- Five of the last ten winners have been sent off favourite - three have been odds-on.
- There have been four UK-trained and six Irish-trained winners of the last ten renewals of the Arkle
- Seven of the last ten winners won their last race before claiming Arkle success
Previous Ten Winners Of The Arkle Challenge Trophy
| Year | Winner | Winning Jockey | Winning Trainer | Starting Price | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kargese | Danny Mullins | Willie Mullins | 7/1 | 6 |
| 2025 | Jango Baie | Nico De Boinville | Nicky Henderson | 5/1 | 6 |
| 2024 | Gaelic Warrior | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 2/1 Fav | 6 |
| 2023 | El Fabiolo | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 11/10 Fav | 6 |
| 2022 | Edwardstone | Tom Cannon | Alan King | 5/2 Fav | 8 |
| 2021 | Shishkin | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson | 4/9 Fav | 7 |
| 2020 | Put The Kettle On | Aidan Coleman | Henry de Bromhead | 16/1 | 6 |
| 2019 | Duc Des Genievres | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 5/1 | 6 |
| 2018 | Footpad | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 5/6 Fav | 6 |
| 2017 | Altior | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson | 1/4 Fav | 7 |
Frequently Asked Questions About The Arkle Challenge Trophy
When is the Arkle Challenge Trophy?
The race takes place at 14:00 on Tuesday 16th March 2027
Where can I watch the Arkle Challenge Trophy?
Watch the race live on ITV1 and Racing TV, which also offer options to stream the race via their streaming services.
Alternatively, most betting sites will offer a free live horse racing stream allowing you to watch the race after you've placed a bet.
Who is the most iconic winner of the Arkle Challenge Trophy?
The name of the Arkle is a deceptive one when looking at the roll of honour for the race, as the great Arkle never won the race himself. The race hasn’t suffered from that, though, and a host of star names have made their mark in the race - including Moscow Flyer. Although he was a Grade 1-winning hurdler, Moscow Flyer really came into his own over fences, and barring two falls he enjoyed an excellent novice chasing season, which culminated in winning the 2002 renewal of the Arkle. Jumping issues would continue to niggle Moscow Flyer throughout his career, but he built up a formidable record nonetheless, winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2003 and 2005. Moscow Flyer would continue racing until the grand old age of 12, and signed off by finishing a creditable fifth in the 2006 Champion Chase.
Are there any trials for the Arkle Challenge Trophy?
There are plenty of trial races for the Arkle that are worth keeping an eye out for throughout the season, with the most significant of those being the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown and the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton. Other races to note include the Future Stars Intermediate Chase at Sandown, the November Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, the Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot, the Lightning Novices’ Chase at Doncaster and the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick. Over in Ireland, races to watch include the Buck House Novice Chase and the Craddockstown Novice Chase, which are both at Punchestown, and the Racing Post Novice Chase and the Irish Arkle, which are both at Leopardstown.
Who is the most successful jockey in the Arkle Challenge Trophy?
The joint-most successful jockeys in the history of the Arkle Trophy are Barry Geraghty and Ruby Walsh, who both have four wins. Barry Geraghty’s Arkle wins came with Moscow Flyer (2002), Forpadydeplasterer (2009), Sprinter Sacre (2012), and Simonsig (2013), while Ruby Walsh’s four Arkle wins came with Azertyuiop (2003), Un De Sceaux (2015), Douvan (2016) and Footpad (2018).
Who is the most successful trainer in the Arkle Challenge Trophy?
The most successful trainer in the history of the Arkle Trophy is Nicky Henderson, who has won the race eight times, with Remittance Man (1991), Travado (1993), Tiutchev (2000), Sprinter Sacre (2012), Simonsig (2013), Altior (2017), Shishkin (2021) and Jango Baie (2025).