Arkle Challenge Trophy 2023 Ante-Post Tips: Fabiolo to down Jonbon in Cheltenham thriller

A small, but select field could line up for the 2023 Arkle Challenge Trophy on day one of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday 14th March, but it's set to be a real scorching renewal as the El Fabiolo and Jonbon do battle in a real clash of the titans. Our in-house tipster looks ahead at that mouth-watering tussle and provides his ante-post tip for the race...

With four wins in the last eight renewals, Willie Mullins has a sensational recent record in the Arkle and the Closutton handler will have another strong hand to play in the 2023 running of the Grade 1 two-mile novice chase. His team will be spearheaded by the current 6/4 favourite EL FABIOLO, who rocketed to the head of the betting with a sublime performance in Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown. On only his second chase start under Rules, the six-year-old obliterated a top class field of novice chasers in the Irish Arkle, as he romped to a ten-length victory over Banbridge.

All eyes had been on stablemate Appreciate It in the lead-up to the race, but that former Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner flopped and his Cheltenham odds for the Arkle have eased to near double-figures and he looks destined to take a step up in trip, where he could face the aforementioned Banbridge. But, back to El Fabiolo, the unbeaten novice chaser produced a fine round of jumping before quickening in fine style from a top notch field and with more improvement sure to come at Cheltenham then he looks extremely tough to beat.

However, Nicky Henderson, who himself has won four of the last 11 renewals of the Arkle, will have a major player in the shape of Jonbon, who is unbeaten over fences and is a 7/4 chance for this contest. Runner-up to Constitution Hill in last season's Supreme, Jonbon has been prominent in the Arkle betting all season as having won on debut at Warwick he then landed an easy Grade 1 win in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown. Sent off at prohibitive odds in the Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick, the JP McManus-owned raider was sketchy at times over his fences and was forced to work hard for a win against his solitary rival Calico that day.

The Seven Barrows inmate certainly showed significant negatives that day, and while he got the job done eventually, it was awfully workmanlike and he may just lack that turn of pace needed to win an Arkle and in a mouth-watering match-up the Henderson raider could come out second best.

A potential fly in the ointment for the dominant pair in the betting could be Dysart Dynamo, who could add more depth to the Willie Mullins charge and that raider is around a 9/2 chance, at the time of writing. A faller in last season's Supreme, the seven-year-old was a facile 28-length winner on his chase debut and then he was sent to the Irish Arkle. Well beaten in fourth that day, Dysart Dynamo was extremely keen and he was unable to maintain it for the finish, but if he can settle better here then he could well play a notable role. There's no doubting he oozes class, but all eyes will be on how he goes through the first couple of furlongs to see if he is keen, but with huge ability he adds another different angle to the race.

The rest of the field in the ante-post betting are available at double-figured odds and it would be no shock to see a fair few of the entries opt to head to the Turners Novices' Chase, so there could be a small field lining up for the Arkle this year. One that could take his chance is Haddex Des Obeaux, who was a dominant winner of a Warwick handicap chase back in January and that progressive six-year-old could feature here, but at 16/1 makes little appeal.

Of the others, Gavin Cromwell's Final Orders is another that was last seen claiming victory in handicap company and may step up into the top grade here, but the 20/1 chance will need to continue on a meteoric rise to land a blow against some of the premier novice chasers in training. Harry Fry's Boothill (50/1) has competed in some top novice chases this season, but he was beaten eight lengths by Jonbon at Sandown earlier in the season and was beaten in the Lightning Novices' Chase at Doncaster last time out, so it's hard to see him figure.

It's a fascinating contest as two heavyweight stables do battle with two top class performers, but it's El Fabiolo that can show he is the class of the field and can hand another win in the race for Mullins, who can kick off the Cheltenham Festival with a winner on day one!