Arvika Ligeonniere chasing the Arkle by contesting in the Racing Post Novice Chase
Seeking to enhance his chances in the Arkle after posting a back-to-back despite coming back from an injury that took well over two-year time to recover, is the seven-year-old bay gelding, Arvika Ligeonniere. The Willie Mullins’ trained has now targeted the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day.
The lay back has actually improved his form as the seven-year-old is unbeaten ever since then. His reappearance could have bothered the connections, but Arvico’s bay gelding proved their fears wrong.
Even after the injury come back, the Mullins’ trained was entered as the favourite in the Punchestown For Events Beginners Chase on 9th May, 2012 at Punchestown race course over two miles and four furlongs.
He set Tom Horn as the runner-up while dominating the trip with jockey, Ruby Walsh, and winning by good thirteen lengths.
Winning when racing after a long break could have been a coincidence so the seven-year-old out of, Daraka, once again erased the fears of his connections by winning the very next outing.
He then dictated the terms of the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase on 2nd December, 2012 at Fairyhouse race course over two miles and four furlongs.
Racing with the same team, he scored the race by the margin of eleven lengths against the evening’s favourite entry, Dedigout.
The highly confident and convinced trainer commented:
"He's been fine since Fairyhouse and I think coming back to an extended two miles round Leopardstown should be fine for him. The ground won't be a problem and we'll see what happens.”
"He's a good, strong horse who likes to gallop and jump, but we'll let Paul (Townend) decide how he wants to ride him."
The only entry that can come between the inform Arvika Ligeonniere and the winner’s enclosure is the Jessica Harrington trained, Oscars Well.
Out of the three seasonal outings, the bay/brown gelding has won two and fell in the one at Punchestown on 18th November.
His most recent score was in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Novice Chase on 8th December, 2012 at Navan race course over two miles and a furlong.
"It's a good race, but if you want to be up there you have to go and take them on. He won't mind the ground, it should be better than what he ran on in Navan and he coped with that all right. It's an unbelievable two-mile novice division this year.”
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