Jon looks a très Bon bet to land the Arkle
NICKY Henderson and Willie Mullins have won seven of the last 10 runnings of the Sporting Life Arkle (2.10pm) and it will be a huge shock if one of them doesn’t land the prize again this year.
The two stables are responsible for the first four in the market and even though Mullins saddles four in total against his British counterpart’s sole runner, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be lifting the trophy.
Henderson has won the Arkle a record seven times (compared with Mullins’ four) and this will be the only day that has mattered for JONBON all season.
He is a master at getting horses ready for Cheltenham. He’s done it time and time again, and the Kingmaker at Warwick was never going to be where we would see Jonbon at his best.
I know he wasn’t impressive in beating Calico, but he still managed to get the job done and we can expect to see a different horse this afternoon.
Jonbon has always been highly regarded at Seven Barrows, with his only defeat in nine starts coming against stablemate Constitution Hill when second in last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
EL FABIOLO is vying for favouritism with him at around the 6/4 mark after an excellent win in the Grade One Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
He clearly has a massive engine, but his jumping is a worry and he was beaten by Jonbon at Aintree last year.
A serious blunder four out at Leopardstown could have been the end of his race and he certainly doesn’t want to be doing that at Cheltenham.
Dysart Dynamo will go out and try to make all. I know plenty think he’ll be able to hold on, but I’m not so sure.
He’s a very good jumper, but it’s a long way up that hill and I can see him setting it up for the others.
The one horse who looks overpriced is SAINT ROI, also from the Mullins yard, at 8/1 with William Hill.
He won a Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas on just his second start over fences and then unseated Mark Walsh in the Irish Arkle when stumbling on the flat.
The winner of the County Hurdle in 2020, he came back to the Festival last year and finished third to Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle.
He is a classy horse on his day and would be the one for me to follow home Jonbon if you’re backing the straight forecast or exacta.
- Jonbon
- Saint Roi
- El Fabiolo