The chasers take centre stage at Newbury on Saturday afternoon with the Grade 2 double act of the William Hill Denman Chase and the William Hill Game Spirit Chase. Just four runners line up in the former event, but the latter has attracted an intriguing field of seven, headed by one of the most talked-about additions to the 2026 chasing ranks. In a race with a solid record of producing Cheltenham Festival winners, the Nicky Henderson-trained Lulamba is well fancied to claim this contest en route to Prestbury Park success in March.
An Illustrious Roll of Honour
First run in 1953, this 2m½f event was renamed in honour of a prolific winner of the 1970s. Initially run under handicap conditions, the race was promoted to Grade 2 status in 1992.
Given the trip and the calibre of the race, the Game Spirit Chase is often used as a stepping stone towards the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Azertyuiop (2004), Master Minded (2008), and Altior (2017) all won both races in the same season.
While the Queen Mother Champion Chase is the most common festival option for the Game Spirit Chase contenders, the race is also targeted by talented novices with an eye on Arkle Chase glory. The legendary duo of Sprinter Sacre and Altior are the only horses to win the Game Spirit and Arkle in the same season. In addition to their brilliance, one thing that the duo had in common was that they both hailed from the yard of Nicky Henderson. Nine years after Altior completed the double in 2017, Henderson has another talented novice perched atop the Game Spirit market.
Arkle Favourite the One to Beat
Almost from the moment he headed to Seven Barrows from the French yard of Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, rumours began to spread that Lulamba belonged in the elite tier of French recruits. In five British starts, the son of Nirvana Du Berlais has delivered on the hype.
Opening his account with an easy success at Ascot, the Mrs J Donnelly-owned runner was pitched into the Triumph Hurdle on only his second start for his new trainer. Running a cracker in that Cheltenham Festival contest, he beat 15 of his 16 rivals but had to settle for second behind the shock 100/1 winner, Poniros. Sent to Ireland for the Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at the Punchestown Festival, Lulamba gained his revenge when conquering Poniros and the rest by an easy four lengths.
Foregoing a season in open hurdle company, Lulamba joined the novice chasing ranks for the 2025/26 season. A strapping sort, he is built to improve over fences and has certainly looked the part in two chase outings to date. Sent off at odds of 2/5 in a beginners’ chase at Exeter, he sauntered to a 10-length success. Stepped up in class for the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown, he again started as the 2/5 favourite and again routed the opposition – the winning margin being just shy of 10 lengths this time.
Henderson has previously tasted Game Spirit success with French Opera (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2012), and Altior (2017, 2018, 2020). He has a solid chance of adding to that tally with the horse, who is the general 13/8 favourite for the Arkle Chase.
Defending Champ Among the Opposition
If there is a weakness in Lulamba, it may be his lack of experience relative to the opposition. Among the most experienced is the horse that caused a shock when claiming the 2025 edition of this race. Sent off as the 11/1 outsider of the five runners, Master Chewy finished strongly in the soft ground to master a field which included the 2024 winner Edwardstone. That course and distance form counts in his favour, but he must concede weight to all six rivals, which may make life tough. The 2025 form is also represented by Libberty Hunter, who finished just over a length behind Master Chewy. Three pounds better off at the weights this time around, the Evan Williams runner is weighted to turn the tables.
The market suggests that the biggest threat to Lulamba is the Jane Williams-trained eight-year-old Saint Segal. A veteran of 21 chases, the son of Saint Des Saints doesn’t boast anything like the potential of the market leader but has finished second in his two previous Grade 2 chase outings. Finding only the rapidly improving Thistle Ask too good on each of those occasions, he is a solid, if unspectacular performer at this level.
Of those available at double-figure prices, Calico arrives seeking a hat-trick for the in-form Dan Skelton, while Brookie has shown little this season but finished second in a Grade 1 at Aintree in April. However, the most interesting outsider is the JP McManus-owned Meetmebythesea. Three from four over hurdles, he is unbeaten in two starts since switching to fences and could go well for an owner who won this race in 1989 and 2015.
If Lulamba is to maintain his place atop the Arkle Chase market, he really ought to be winning this with some authority. Tune in at 2:45 pm on Saturday to discover how he gets on.