Kopek Des Bordes was one of the most exciting winners at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, announcing himself as a top-class novice with a thrilling success in the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The promising six-year-old travelled strongly throughout and, despite a mistake at the last, showed real grit to hold off William Munny by around two lengths.
Things didn’t quite go to plan afterwards. He was well beaten in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown to round off the campaign, but that effort was quickly forgiven when he made a hugely impressive return this season, this time over fences.
Making his chasing debut in a Beginners’ Chase at Navan in November, Kopek Des Bordes jumped with fluency and authority, powering clear to score by an emphatic 13 lengths. On raw ability alone, it was the sort of performance that immediately screams Arkle horse.
Unsurprisingly, that Navan success catapulted him to the head of the ante-post market for the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase in the Cheltenham odds. But since then, doubts have begun to creep in.
A disrupted preparation
Kopek Des Bordes hasn’t been seen since that Navan win, now some three months ago. He was due to take a major step forward in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, but was withdrawn because of what was described at the time as a minor setback.
That issue has lingered longer than initially hoped, with the six-year-old also missing the Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Speaking after Kopek Des Bordes wasn’t entered for the Irish Arkle, the owner offered a revealing update:
“Willie [Mullins] rang me this morning and said the horse is working very well, but he doesn’t want to risk him up against these sorts of rivals at the moment. It’s heartbreaking really, but we have to respect the horse.
“I asked him what plan B is and he said he’ll go straight to Cheltenham. We were 95 per cent sure we’d run, so it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but he’s only six and Willie is a specialist – we know he’ll have him good and ready for Cheltenham.”
The message is clear: it’s all roads leading straight to Cheltenham. But that raises the obvious question: Can a horse really win an Arkle with just one previous run over fences?
History says: rare, but possible
Winning the Arkle after a minimal chasing preparation is far from the norm, but it’s not without precedent. David Pipe famously pulled it off not once, but twice.
Well, Chief began the 2003–04 season over hurdles before switching to fences in February, winning a modest Class 4 Novice Chase at Taunton. Just weeks later, he produced a huge performance at Cheltenham, landing the Arkle by a length from Kicking King.
Pipe repeated the trick a decade later with Western Warhorse. Again, starting the season over hurdles, the gelding went chasing in the New Year, won at Doncaster, and then edged out Champagne Fever by a head in a memorable Arkle finish.
Both were remarkable training feats and a huge credit to Pipe, but there are key differences. Crucially, both Well Chief and Western Warhorse had recent runs much closer to the Festival than Kopek Des Bordes will have.
The layoff concern
By the time the Arkle rolls around on day one of the Cheltenham Festival, Kopek Des Bordes will have been off the track for approximately 113 days. That’s a long absence for a novice chaser, especially one heading into the most unforgiving two-mile test of the season.
His rivals don’t bring the same level of uncertainty. Ante-post favourite Lulamba hasn’t been seen since winning at Sandown in December, but his preparation has still been close to flawless, returning with a 10-length success before backing it up with a similarly dominant display in the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase.
Romeo Coolio, meanwhile, comes here match-fit after capitalising in the Irish Arkle for Gordon Elliott and looks ready to peak at the right time.
The Mullins factor
And yet… this is Mullins we’re talking about.
If there’s one trainer you’d want handling a horse with this level of raw ability and such a disrupted preparation, it’s Mullins. He is the mastermind of the modern era, the benchmark against which everyone else is measured.
He doesn’t tilt at windmills with Cheltenham runners, particularly in Grade 1 novice chases. If Kopek Des Bordes lines up in the Arkle, you can be certain Mullins believes he belongs there.
So, can Kopek Des Bordes win the Arkle after just one chase start?
The answer is yes: But only if he’s truly exceptional. History shows it can be done, but it requires everything to fall perfectly into place.
The absence, the missed prep runs, and the strength of this year’s opposition all pose serious questions. Still, with Mullins pulling the strings and undeniable talent on his side, Kopek Des Bordes remains a fascinating and dangerous contender if he makes it to the start line.
