Willie Mullins' Kargese foils Kopek and Lulamba in Arkle surprise
Kargese, ridden by Danny Mullins and trained by Willie Mullins, upset the fancied Lulamba and Kopek des Bordes to win the Arkle. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
Jumping won the day in the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase as Kargese, aided by a fine front-running ride from Danny Mullins, got the better of stablemate Kopek Des Bordes and 11-10 favourite Lulamba to get Willie Mullins off the mark at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
Having over-jumped the first, a mistake at the second put Kopek Des Bordes on the backfoot on just his second start over fences but last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero had worked his way back into the contest on the approach to second last where Lulamba made a costly blunder.
