Somersby quietly closing in on Arkle challenge

Henrietta Knight isn’t one of those trainers who screams her opinions from the rooftops. The lady who guided the great Best Mate to three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups learned a long time ago to let her horses do the talking, and in Somersby her 'softly softly' approach might once again come up trumps, writes Elliot Slater.

Somersby is one of those horses about whom you might hear whispers turning into deafening roars by the time he comes to the last in the Arkle Chase, the two-mile novice chasing championship race at the forthcoming Cheltenham Festival. On paper the son of Second Empire probably has a bit to find to compare alongside big race favourite Captain Cee Bee and fellow Irish contender Sizing Europe, but there is no doubting the tremendous potential demonstrated by Knight's classy performer in his two outings over fences this term.

Last year Somersby showed he can mix it with the best on the big occasion when finishing an excellent third to Go Native in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, staying on well up the Cheltenham hill. Knight has always suggested that her charge would be even better over the larger obstacles and thus far those comments do not look out of place, the six-year-old winning as he pleased on his Warwick debut, then staying-on strongly after the last to land the Grade 2 Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in December.

Before placing a bet on Cheltenham, it is worth considering that Knight has been continually thwarted by the severe weather in her quest to get another run into her rising star, and some time ago decided that she would settle for getting Somersby fit on the home gallops at West Lockinge. Her move to secure the services of top Cheltenham rider Robert Thornton is another added incentive to supporters.

As Britain's leading candidate for the Arkle Chase there will be plenty of cash riding on Somersby's shoulders, but if previous form for horse and trainer are anything to go by, then he will surely give people placing a Bet on Cheltenham festival races a tremendous run for their money.