Arkle Challenge Trophy

The Favourite: Shishkin (10/11)

Shishkin has been favourite for the Arkle ever since he won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last season. That was effectively only his third start over hurdles (fell early on his debut) but he was able to overcome significant interference at the flight coming down the hill, working his way back into the race in the manner of a very good horse, getting the better of Abacadabras late on, the pair of them pulling clear.

Sent over fences this term, the son of Sholokhov has been flawless in three runs and though he hasn’t faced a top-class rival, he has still impressed on the clock, similarly to his preparation going into the Festival last year. What marks him apart is that Festival form and Cheltenham know-how.

Main opposition:

It’s a red-hot race with the unbeaten chasers Energumene and Allmankind very likely to be worthy Arkle favourites most other years. Energumeme raced just once over hurdles for Willie Mullins last season but was impressive on that occasion. He has been nothing but impressive over fences this term, scoring by 19 lengths on his chase debut over two and a half miles at Gowran Park – a performance that had our time analyst Simon Rowlands purring – and then easily dealing with the drop back to two miles, defeating Captain Guinness at Naas and then scoring easily again when upped to Grade 1 class at the Dublin Racing Festival. His jumping, though he sometimes goes to his right, is his biggest asset.

Allmankind, the five-year-old, looks a significantly better chaser than he was hurdler, but has still maintained his tearaway tactics with three wins from three runs. He recorded Grade 1 success in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown, where he beat Hitman, who denied us a solid appraisal of that form when he fell in the Scilly Isles on his next start. Still, Allmankind upgraded his own form with a 14-length beating of the much improved handicapper Sky Pirate, who was rated 152 going into the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick but couldn’t like with the quick jumping of the Skelton horse.

From a limited selection, five-year-olds have fared well enough in the Arkle: Well Chief (2004) and Voy Por Ustedes (2006) were the latest winners, while Fakir D’Oudairies went close last season.

Outsiders to note:

It’s 16/1 bar the front three, but this could end up being a small field and with that in mind, Franco De Port, more or less confirmed for this race by Willie Mullins in a press call this week, makes some appeal. He was no match for Energumene at Leopardstown but an early mistake didn’t help and the extra stamina test of Cheltenham should suit him. He appeals as one who could benefit from the likely hectic pace set up by Allmankind, and perhaps run on late to hit the frame.

Verdict:

Nicky Henderson is the leading trainer in the history of the Arkle with six wins but Willie Mullins has won four of the last five and can move to within one of his British counterpart with Energumene. The Tony Bloom-owned chaser has been as impressive, if not more than Shishkin this season and while that rival has Cheltenham form in the book, there is more substance to Energumene’s chase form given he is a Grade 1 winner in the Irish Arkle, with the runner-up having won a Grade 1 on his previous start. (RG)