Cheltenham tips: Rory Delargy’s pick for the Arkle Trophy in Paddy’s non runner money back market

Rory reckons Marine Nationale will take all the beating in the Arkle Trophy, with challengers tough to choose from.

By Rory Delargy / Cheltenham Festival, Horse Racing Tips / 10 months ago

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Rory Delargy’s Sporting Life Arkle Trophy Pick

In the fourth of this year’s Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’, host Tom Nugent together with former champion jockey turned tv pundit Ruby Walsh and well-known journalist and broadcaster Rory Delargy, look at the Sporting Life Arkle Trophy on day two of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

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RORY DELARGY

I can’t look at anything beyond Marine Nationale for this. He’s nearly flawless.

He jumped every fence at Leopardstown better than any other horse in the race. It was only the Beginner’s Chase, but it might as well have been a graded contest.

I’d happily back him at even shorter than he is at the moment. I know people will look at it and go, “You can’t be backing a horse at 8/15 for the Arkle”, but I cannot see anything that touches him in that race. He has only had one run over fences, and that is a dangerous thing to say, but he absolutely blew me away.

What you may find is that a few horses will defect from the Arkle at the weekend action at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown. I expect Marine Nationale to win well there, but it is complete guesswork at the moment on which horses will stay in the race come March, to predict a ‘value’ outside pick.

If anything, his biggest challenge in this race will be the first fence.