Medermit Headlines Remaining Arkle Entries

Alan King made headlines yesterday by declaring Medermit to be his best chance for Cheltenham silverware at this year’s festival. The respected Grade 1 winner has been, by and large, outperforming expectations this season barring his refusal to exit the gate when bet down to 1/5 at Huntingdon back in mid-November.

The respected novice chaser remains pointed in the direction of the Arkle Chase on the opening day of the festival and he remains a very prominent contender, right up there in the leading ante post pack, as the field is clipped down to 23 entrants.

A trio of talented emerging chasers are battling it out in the 5/1-7/2 corridor. Finian’s Rainbow, undefeated in his three efforts this year including a Grade 2 at Warwick, along with Paul Nicholls’ Ghizao represent the betting public’s fancies to give Medermit a tough time over the Cheltenham surface.

Ghizao has been campaigned at Cheltenham in two of his three efforts this season, capturing a Grade 2 novice chase over the likes of Captain Chris with Timmy Murphy up. The German-bred ran a disappointing twelfth to Peddlers Cross in last year’s Neptune Novice’s Hurdle.

Captain Chris is expected to return to face Medermit and the punters consider him one of the best of the rest of this one as he trades as low as 10/1 alongside Noel Meade’s Realt Dubh.

Rock Noir remains in the mix for the Arkle and he was a tame fourth to Medermit at Sandown back in early February. There is a chance he could retain Tony McCoy for the trip and his 33/1 ante post price will drop based on a firm commitment from connections.