Banbridge bounds to impressive Arkle Trial success

Joseph O’Brien-trained six-year-old showing a distinct liking for Cheltenham.

Banbridge once again showed his liking for Cheltenham with a stylish performance in the From The Horses Mouth Podcast Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase.

Trained by Joseph O’Brien, the six-year-old was a winner at the Festival in March but that came in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and he was running in Grade Two company over fences on this occasion.

He was always handy in the hands of JJ Slevin, in a race that was run at a good pace set by Sole Pretender.

Tommy’s Oscar tracked the leaders as one by one the field thinned out, including Pentland Hills who dropped away tamely.

Glory And Fortune still held a chance running to the second-last but unfortunately fell, which left Tommy’s Oscar as the only danger albeit he was a remote one at best as Banbridge powered up the hill to win by six lengths and justify 11-8 favouritism.

Betfair cut the winner to 16-1 from 20s for the Arkle in March and go 10-1 from 14s for the Turners Novices’ Chase.

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