The 2m Arkle Challenge Trophy for novice chasers is the second of four Grade 1 races on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival this Tuesday (14:10) and Notebook has leading form claims.
Trained by Henry De Bromhead for owners Gigginstown House Stud, this seven-year-old is unbeaten in four starts over the larger obstacles.
Notebook kept on strongly to win his chase debut at Punchestown and then returned there to land the Grade 2 Florida Pearl.
He ran out five lengths too good for Moon Over Germany, who had previously landed an ultra-competitive Grade 3 handicap at the Aintree Grand National meeting.
Connections pitched Notebook in at the highest level off the back of that effort.
The son of Samum found plenty when giving 7lb and a 1 1/2 lengths beating to the re-opposing Fakir D’oudairies – a previous Grade 1 winner.
As the pair now meet off level weights, there’s no reason why Notebook shouldn’t confirm form.
After completing his hat-trick, he followed-up in the Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival. He found plenty for pressure to hold Cash Back – another who re-opposes here – by three-quarters of a length.
Those exploits have earned Notebook top rating of 158 in this year’s Arkle Challenge Trophy.
The one concern was the way he bolted on his way to the start, but earplugs will be used to drown out noise in the preliminaries.
As Notebook’s trainer and jockey Rachael Blackmore have both had a fine season, there’s every reason to think he can do the Irish and English Arkle done following on from Footpad, Douvan and Un De Sceaux.
He heads the betting at 11/4 with Betway in an albeit competitive renewal of this prestigious race. If replicating his form, then Notebook deserves to be a leading contender.
Trip a concern for Fakir D’oudairies
Leading Irish owner JP McManus and trainer Joseph O’Brien opt to run the aforementioned Fakir D’oudairies here rather than in the Marsh Novices’ Chase on Thursday.
Although given those connections the five-year-old is respected, there is an argument that they ran him in the wrong at last year’s Cheltenham Festival. History could be repeating itself.
Fakir D’oudairies was hugely impressive in a Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle trial here last January when bolting up by 13 lengths.
Connections had a strong hand for the big juvenile race, so redirected him to the Supreme.
While the son of Kapgarde was far from disgraced when pitched in against his elders, he only finished fourth.
Fakir D’oudairies then reverted to juvenile company and chased home Nicky Henderson pair Pentland Hills and Fusil Raffles at Aintree and Punchestown.
He was sent chasing this season and comfortably lowered the colours of dual Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon on reappearance.
It’s worth remembering Fakir D’oudairies was getting weight-for-age allowances in all three of his outings over fences.
The terms of the Arkle Challenge Trophy aren’t so generous. Fakir D’oudairies really impressed when stepped up to 2m 4f for the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse in December.
Despite main market rival Samcro falling, his jumping was spot on and he bolted up by 22 lengths from Ronald Pump.
Irish Grand National hero Burrows Saint was beaten a further five lengths in third. However, Fakir D’oudairies couldn’t reach or match Notebook in receipt of 7lb in the Irish Arkle.
As he is worse off at the weights and looked so impressive when up in trip, it could well be worth opposing him at odds of 4/1 with Ladbrokes this time.
Maire Banrigh an each-way bet in Arkle Challenge Trophy
There are two mares getting a handy 7lb sex allowance in this. Of the pair, the unbeaten Maire Banrigh looks a fascinating each-way contender for trainer-jockey brothers Dan and Harry Skelton.
Like Notebook, this eight-year-old is four from four over fences but is taking a big step up in grade.
Maire Banrigh has jumped superbly in those and made all under a massive weight of 12st 6lb on reappearance and chase bow at Stratford.
The welter burden was no problem for her as she bolted up by 15 lengths. Maire Banrigh then bested last year’s Supreme runner-up Thomas Darby by a length at Warwick.
This was a good performance as she only received 2lb rather than the usual 7lb.
The daughter of King’s Theatre completed her hat-trick with another fine round of jumping at Doncaster where she was 13 lengths too good for Baddesley Knight.
Maire Banrigh took the step up into Listed company in her stride when back against her sex last time out at Huntingdon. She was again in firm command and scored by 11 lengths.
A race like the Arkle Challenge Trophy demands plenty more, but the way Maire Banrigh gets into a rhythm with her fences means she may well be capable of going well again on the upgrade. She is 12/1 with 888sport to do just that.
Don’t discount Cash Back from frame either
Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins has won four of the last five renewals, so that makes Cash Back of obvious interest. The eight-year-old has taken his form to a new level since being sent chasing.
A typical import to Mullins’ Closutton stables, Cash Back won on debut for the yard at Thurles before going down just three-quarters of a length when pitched into Grade 2 company at Fairyhouse.
When tackling fences for the first time on reappearance at Navan, he learned from novicey mistakes to score by seven lengths.
Cash Back then followed-up at Naas when making all and landing the spoils by 12 lengths.
He does have something to find on Notebook from the Irish Arkle, but did strongly press the winner for a fair way.
It may be that Cash Back who is less exposed than fellow Irish raider has even more to offer at 13/2 with William Hill.
In what is a deep renewal of the Arkle Challenge Trophy, fellow Emerald Isle raider Put The Kettle On won the official trial for the race back in November.
That course and distance success was something of a surprise. However, the De Bromhead trained mare is only 3lb worse off with the runner-up Al Dancer.
The fourth horse home that day, Rouge Vif, has since come out and landed a Grade 2, but the pair re-oppose off exactly the same terms.
Put The Kettle On has proven she stays further and that’s a plus on forecast soft ground.
Now given a break to freshen up, she may have less to find with the market principals than it appears on official ratings and she could go well at 20/1 with the same firm.
English Arkle Challenge Trophy hopefuls much of a muchness
The likes of Rouge Vif, Global Citizen and Esprit Du Large all have official ratings that are very close together. A case can be made for each on the pick of their form.
Rouge Vif was runner-up to Global Citizen in the Grade 2 Wayward Lad at Kempton over Christmas, but has since gone one better at Warwick in the Kingmaker.
Esprit Du Large, meanwhile, took the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown in December. Each of these three horses are available with bookmakers at double figure prices, but have no form at Cheltenham.
It makes them very difficult to assess in relation to the Arkle Challenge Trophy. Global Citizen, who hails from Ben Pauling’s stable, faces a very different test around Prestbury Park to the speedy, flat track that is Kempton.
Evan Williams’ Esprit Du Large has only ever won one race going left-handed, meanwhile.
Rouge Vif has something to find with Al Dancer and Put The Kettle on the form of the Arkle Trial so on that basis it’s hard to fancy any of them.
Young trainer Olly Murphy has kept Brewin’upastorm out of graded company in winning two minor events.
On the pick of his novice hurdle form last season that saw him twice finish fourth and later runner-up to Reserve Tank at Aintree, he can’t be totally discounted either.
There are horses engaged with bigger claims than these British hopefuls, so they may all be best avoided.
