Ruby Walsh feels Kopek Des Bordes remains firmly in the frame for the Singer Capital Markets Arkle at Cheltenham despite missing the Dublin Racing Festival.
Willie Mullins opted to bypass Monday's Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase with last season's Sky Bet Supreme winner meaning he’ll head to Prestbury Park with just one outing over fences under his belt.
Speaking on Paddy Power Media's ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast Cheltenham Countdown, the analyst said: “He is very much in the picture and Western Warhorse has done it, Well Chief has done it, you can win an Arkle off one run.
“Now I’m not sure, I know Well Chief didn’t because he won his novice chase in February in Taunton so he won it not off the back of one run and an injury, Western Warhorse was January at Doncaster. So they’re different in that sense.
“But I do think Kopek was good at Navan, he jumped better than I thought he was going to jump a fence, I thought at times he was clumsy over a hurdle, but fences seem to have kicked his brain into gear, to move his feet at the same speed."
But he also feels there are interesting runners at bigger prices too.
“Kappa Jy Pyke possibly. I thought he showed a good turn of foot to beat Jacob’s Ladder at Punchestown, Jacob’s Ladder won the handicap chase on Monday at Leopardstown.
“I think he could be a little bit between trips as well, but I could see him coming here rather than going all the way up to three miles in the Brown Advisory. It didn’t look like he stayed last year as a hurdler in Aintree so possibly he could go here at a double figure price.
“He’s a good jumper, he beat Salvator Mundi in Thurles and he’s beaten Jacob’s Ladder at Punchestown, it’s probably solid enough form and maybe because he wasn’t in the top rung of novice hurdlers last season, he’s a little bit overlooked, but I’d say he’s a decent horse and he’s a good each-way price."
And if he was given a free bet now – who would he place it on?
"I’ll take a stab at one of the ones at a price Irish Panther, Kappa Jy Pyke – probably going to get a better trail on Irish Panther because you're going to be on the front end at 14/1, whereas Kappa Jy Pyke you'd be looking at it wondering can he sneak into third?” he reasoned.
“Probably never getting a real sniff for your win stake so if I had an each-way on Irish Panther, you’d be heading down the hill thinking I’ve a chance and then you’d be watching them going back up hoping he can hang on."
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