Arkle Chase

A straight two miles, tackling 12 fences - this one was won by 1/4 favourite Altior for Nicky Henderson in 2017. Warwick's Kingmaker Chase is usually a pretty solid form guide for this one, so take note there.

Trends

- 11 of the last 13 winners had won or been placed over the Cheltenham fences previously.

- 11 of the last 13 winners had previously won a chase at Grade 1 or Grade 2.

- 14 of the last 16 winners returned with an official rating of 142 or above, and five of those winners were the highest rated runner in that renewal. 10 of the last 17 winners have been top or second top rated.

- 16 of the last 17 winners went off at single figure odds.

- Only five favourites have won in the last 24 renwals

- French bred horses have won half of the races over the past two decades.

- Each of the last 27 winners finished 1st or 2nd last time out

- 10 of the last 11 winners were aged six or seven

- This is Nicky Henderson territory - he's won the race six times.

Offers

There's not a lot around on this one with just five runners. Paddy Power will give you your money back as a free bet up to £10 if the SP favourite (5/4 shot at the moment) wins, so they are worth considering.

Our Pick

Footpad is a solid favourite in this one, and we're not going to oppose him with nothing standing out strongly enough to suggest he can be beaten. He's top rated, going off at 162 in this one, and a glance through the trends in recent years sees him tick every single box. A third place in the Triumph Hurdle in 2016 and a fourth place in last season's Champion Hurdle justify fully his short price. He's 5/4 accross the board, and we'll take our bet with Coral on Monday evening who give money back if your horse falls or unseats, which is always nice insurance to put alongside top price.

2pts Footpad to win at 5/4

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