Assessing the Cheltenham hotpots

Some Festival favourites will enhance already lofty reputations this week. Others will tank. Working out what to support and what to steer clear of can make or break punters

SUPPORT: Nico de Boinville onboard Shishkin comes home to win Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Mark Cranham

Edwardstone (Sporting Life Arkle Chase, Tuesday).

THE Arkle is traditionally a race in which the favourite delivers with seven of the last 10 renewals won by the market leader. Had he not succumbed to a season-ending injury, Ferny Hollow would be a strong favourite for the second race of the Festival. In his absence, English contender Edwardstone now heads the market. Alan King’s charge has won his last four starts, most recently scoring in the Grade Two Kingmaker at Warwick last month. That winning streak entitles Edwardstone to be favourite but Blue Lord and Riviere D’Etel, first and second in the Irish Arkle last month, are themselves decent types who look capable of putting it up to him while Haut En Couleurs has the potential to play a part in a wide-open contest.