Cheltenham 2012 Arkle Chase Preview

The Arkle Chase is the premier novice chase over 2 miles of the National Hunt season and is already building up to be one of the highlights of the Cheltenham Festival 2012. There have already been three exceptional performances from novices who are being aimed at this race and each would probably have been installed favourite in an average season. Such was their talent over hurdles that all three would command respect in the Champion Hurdle had their handlers chosen to take that route.

The ante-post favourite is Peddlers Cross, trained by Grand National winning Donald McCain Jnr. He very nearly lifted the Champion Hurdle last year, only being run out of it by Hurricane Fly in the closing stages. The temptation to stay over hurdles must have been great, but McCain obviously feels that this will be his horse’s game and has wasted no time in switching him over fences. He has recorded two facile victories at Bangor against inferior rivals but he has shown enough to be marked up as 4-1 favourite with the bookmakers.

The powerful Paul Nicholls stable also took the decision to move their Cheltenham Supreme Novice Hurdle winner Al Ferof straight to the bigger obstacles this season and he appears to have taken to it like a duck to water. Although he had to be shaken up to land the odds at Sandown last time out, he had been out in front for a while and his jumping was faultless. He had previously cruised home impressively at Cheltenham and Nicholls has now put him away in preparation for his festival build up.

The most recent eyecatching performance came from Nicky Henderson’s Sprinter Sacre at Doncaster. He finished third to Al Ferof at Cheltenham in March but Henderson clearly has no doubt as to where this horse’s future lies and he already looks a natural over fences. Although clearly a league above his rivals, he could scarcely have done more than coast to a 24 length win. Sprinter Sacre is generally a 6-1 chance for the Arkle with Al Ferof at 7-1.

The Arkle Chase is traditionally a launching pad for horses who go on to compete in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and recent winners of both races include Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop, Voy Por Ustedes and Sizing Europe. Looking at the quality of this season’s early contenders, it will be a major surprise if one or more of them do not follow a similar path into the Cheltenham history books.