Singer Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
AN Arkle billed as a match between Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba was blown apart by a typically canny Danny Mullins and the ultra-dependable Kargese, who showed tremendous heart to regain the lead on the run-in for her second Festival success.
Now a triple Grade 1 winner yet to finish out of the first three in her career, Kenny Alexander’s six-year-old (sent off at 7/1) did pretty much everything right on the front end to follow up her patiently-ridden County Hurdle triumph of a year earlier. It was to her immense credit that she pulled out all the stops to get back in front after Kopek Des Bordes cruised to the last under Paul Townend.
However, the 11/8 shot was untidy on landing at the last and gave away key momentum, having jumped the last approximately half a length in front (judged on the side-on camera angle). Perhaps his lack of a run since November 17th caught him out on the run-in, as he ended up finishing two and a quarter lengths adrift of the only mare in the line-up.
Lulamba shaped like this trip on ground as dry as this didn’t play to his strengths back in third, beaten a total of four and three-quarters after a mistake at the second last.
Danny Mullins, bagging his fourth Festival winner, said: “Everyone maybe expected us to burn off in front, but I was just trying to use my jumping as my strongest asset. And even when I got headed over the second last, I knew I wasn’t done with yet, I hadn’t burned the petrol early. The last furlong was where she did her best work.”
After saddling the 1-2, Willie Mullins added: “Kargese was very good - I thought Danny gave her a tremendous ride. He used all the attributes that she has and, when he wanted a jump at the last, he got it.
“And Paul gave Kopek Des Bordes a tremendous ride for a horse having only his second run over fences in a race like the Arkle. Just that little genuflection after the last; I thought he jumped it well, and if it wasn’t for that genuflection, who knows which way the race would have gone?
“I think Kopek, for a horse having his second run this season, to do what he did today was tremendous. I haven’t lost any faith in him. Kargese looks like a Champion Chase horse; we’ll have to decide, Kenny loves to breed from his nice mares, and he might do that.”
The immediate reaction to this performance was to see Kargese cut to 10/1 (from 25/1) for next year’s Champion Chase, while Kopek Des Bordes was trimmed to 6/1 (from 7/1) for the same race. Paddy Power initially pushed Lulamba out to 50/1 (from 20/1) for the 2027 Cheltenham Gold Cup, before being cut back to 33/1 shortly after.
Paul Townend, rider of Kopek Des Bordes (second)
“He was running a huge race for just his second start over fences. After the first two, he listened to me and did everything I wanted him to. I thought I’d have been a nice winner with room for improvement if only for the peck at the back of the last, but they’re novice chasers and that happens.”
Nicky Henderson, trainer of Lulamba (third)
“I don’t think you’ll see us over two miles again. We might still have won without that mistake, but we were in top gear - that’s the trouble. He’s run on and done well to come back. He might go to Aintree over two and a half miles now. He’ll enjoy that. And he’s the sort of horse who will go down the Jango Baie route to the King George.”