Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba locking horns in Arkle showdown

Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba engage in a fascinating clash for the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson have saddled eight of the last 10 winners between them and it will be a major shock if the Grade One prize does not once again go to either Closutton or Seven Barrows.

The Willie Mullins-trained Kopek Des Bordes struck Festival gold in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 12 months ago and while he has raced just once over fences, reports of a couple of scintillating racecourse schooling sessions in recent weeks mean confidence is high ahead of his return to the Cotswolds.

Jockey Paul Townend, bidding for his fourth Arkle success following previous triumphs aboard Duc Des Genievres (2019), El Fabiolo (2023) and Gaelic Warrior (2024), said: “I’m very happy with him. He’s coming along nicely, you would have loved to have racecourse runs into him and we don’t, but unfortunately that’s the way it is going to be now.

“It will take a fair one to beat him.”

Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba was narrowly denied Festival glory in last year’s Triumph Hurdle, but he has been faultless in winning each of his three chase starts to date, most recently beating more experienced rivals in the Game Spirit at Newbury.

“Lulamba is great, but I would just be frightened Kopek might be a bit more of a two-miler than we are. Lulamba could be a bit like Jango Baie last year, but I do think he is a bit sharper,” said Henderson.

“We were happy with Newbury and while it might not have been visibly what everyone wanted to see, he was learning on the job. What I did like is he was locked away on the fence where the ground was better – it tested him and it got him thinking. As soon as he got a little daylight, he winged the second-last and was gone.

“I loved the way he went down to the last and flew it, he was class.

“The first two fences in the Arkle will be vital as they come up quick. He’s just got to jump those and then hold it and he’ll be fine.”

Mullins has a second string to his bow in the high-class mare Kargese, who was beaten a neck by Romeo Coolio in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown last month.

The best of the rest could well be the Sam Thomas-trained Steel Ally, who like Lulamba is three from three over the larger obstacles.

“We’ll be hoping to pick up any pieces if the top horses don’t perform, I suppose,” said the South Glamorgan-based trainer.

“He deserves his chance on what he’s done this season and I think he’s versatile ground-wise. His better jumping performance was on better ground, I’d say.

“I’m not really fussed what the ground is but, touch wood, one thing we do hopefully have in the bank is that he jumps well and he stays, which is what you want.”

Jax Junior (Lucy Wadham), Mambonumberfive (Ben Pauling) and Hansard (Gary and Josh Moore) complete the field.