Arkle Challenge Trophy

The Arkle Challenge Trophy is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham, England, over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile, 7 furlongs and 199 yards, or 3,199 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and takes place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

For the similarly titled horse race in Ireland, see Arkle Novice Chase.
Arkle Challenge Trophy
Grade 1 race
LocationCheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham, England
Race typeSteeplechase
SponsorRacing Post
WebsiteCheltenham
Race information
Distance1m 7f 199y (3,499 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFive-years-old and up
Weight11 st 4 lb
Allowances
7 lb for mares
Purse£175,000 (2020)
1st: £98,473
Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase
2020
Put The Kettle On Fakir D'Oudairies Rouge Vif

It is the leading minimum-distance chase for novices in the National Hunt calendar. It is the second race on the opening day of the festival.

History

The Arkle Challenge Trophy was introduced as a replacement for the Cotswold Chase, a previous event at the Cheltenham Festival, in 1969. Its title pays tribute to Arkle, a three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the mid-1960s.[1] The race was formerly scheduled to be run on the second day of the Festival, but it was switched to its slot on the opening day in 1980.

The first sponsor of the "Arkle" was Waterford Castle, which began supporting the event in 1991. It was backed by Guinness from 1994 to 1999, and from 2000 to 2011 it was sponsored by the Irish Independent newspaper. The Racing Post newspaper sponsored the race from 2012 to 2020. From 2021 the race is sponsored by Sporting Life.[2]

Several winners of the race have subsequently achieved victory in the most prestigious two-mile chase in the National Hunt calendar, the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The most recent was Altior, the winner of the latter event in 2018. The 1978 winner, Alverton, went on to win the following season's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

In 2020, Put the Kettle On become the first Mare to win the race since Anaglogs Daughter in 1980.

Records

Leading jockey since 1946 (4 wins):

  • Barry Geraghty – Moscow Flyer (2002), Forpadydeplasterer (2009), Sprinter Sacre (2012), Simonsig (2013)
  • Ruby Walsh – Azertyuiop (2003), Un de Sceaux (2015), Douvan (2016), Footpad (2018)

Leading trainer since 1946 (6 wins):

  • Nicky Henderson – Remittance Man (1991), Travado (1993), Tiutchev (2000), Sprinter Sacre (2012), Simonsig (2013), Altior (2017)

Winners since 1946
Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer
1946 Bright Penny 6 Glen Kelly Bobby Norris
1947 no race 1947 [lower-alpha 1]
1948 Top Cash 6 Glen Kelly Bobby Norris
1949 Grand Refrain 5 Glen Kelly Bobby Norris
1950 High Level 5 Johnny Bullock Fred Rimell
1951 Red Steel 5 Dick Francis Frank Cundell
1952 Nautical Print 5 Tommy Cusack Gerry Wilson
1953 Bramble Tudor 5 Tim Molony Stewart Wight
1954 Armorial III 5 René Emery Fulke Walwyn
1955 Manuscrit 5 Johnny Bullock Fulke Walwyn
1956 Sir Ken 9 Tim Molony Willie Stephenson
1957 Ballyatom 5 Bob McCreery[lower-alpha 2] George Beeby
1958 Fortria 6 Tom Taaffe Tom Dreaper
1959 Flame Gun 8 Fred Winter Charlie Mallon
1960 Mazurka 6 Ron Harrison Ron Smyth
1961 Mountcashel King 6 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper
1962 Prudent Barney 8 Johnny East Bobby Renton
1963 Ben Stack 6 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper
1964 Greektown 8 Michael Scudamore Willie Stephenson
1965 Flyingbolt 6 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper
1966 Arctic Sunset 6 George Milburn Ken Oliver
1967 Arctic Stream 7 Ben Hannon Pat Rooney
1968 The Hustler 6 Barry Brogan Earl Jones
1969 Chatham 5 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell
1970 Soloning 5 Paul Kelleway Fred Winter
1971 Alpheus 6 Eddie Wright Tom Dreaper
1972 Pendil 7 Richard Pitman Fred Winter
1973 Denys Adventure 8 Graham Thorner Tim Forster
1974 Canasta Lad 8 Jeff King Peter Bailey
1975 Broncho II 6 Colin Tinkler Tony Dickinson
1976 Roaring Wind 8 Reg Crank Roy Cambidge
1977 Tip the Wink 7 Dessie Hughes Pat Taylor
1978 Alverton 8 Graham Thorner Peter Easterby
1979 Chinrullah 7 Dessie Hughes Mick O'Toole
1980 Anaglogs Daughter 7 Tommy Carberry Bill Durkan
1981 Clayside 7 Alan Brown Peter Easterby
1982 The Brockshee 7 Tommy Carberry Arthur Moore
1983 Ryeman 6 Alan Brown Peter Easterby
1984 Bobsline 8 Frank Berry Francis Flood
1985 Boreen Prince 8 Niall Madden Andrew McNamara
1986 Oregon Trail 6 Ronnie Beggan Simon Christian
1987 Gala's Image 7 Richard Linley Mercy Rimell
1988 Danish Flight 9 Mark Dwyer Jimmy FitzGerald
1989 Waterloo Boy 6 Richard Dunwoody David Nicholson
1990 Comandante 8 Peter Hobbs Josh Gifford
1991 Remittance Man 7 Richard Dunwoody Nicky Henderson
1992 Young Pokey 7 Jamie Osborne Oliver Sherwood
1993 Travado 7 Jamie Osborne Nicky Henderson
1994 Nakir 6 Jamie Osborne Simon Christian
1995 Klairon Davis 6 Francis Woods Arthur Moore
1996 Ventana Canyon 7 Richard Dunwoody Edward O'Grady
1997 Or Royal 6 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
1998 Champleve 5 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
1999 Flagship Uberalles 5 Joe Tizzard Paul Nicholls
2000 Tiutchev 7 Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson
2001 no race 2001 [lower-alpha 3]
2002 Moscow Flyer 8 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington
2003 Azertyuiop 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2004 Well Chief 5 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
2005 Contraband 7 Timmy Murphy Martin Pipe
2006 Voy Por Ustedes 5 Robert Thornton Alan King
2007 My Way de Solzen 7 Robert Thornton Alan King
2008 Tidal Bay 7 Denis O'Regan Howard Johnson
2009 Forpadydeplasterer 7 Barry Geraghty Tom Cooper
2010 Sizing Europe 8 Andrew Lynch Henry de Bromhead
2011 Captain Chris 7 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
2012 Sprinter Sacre 6 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2013 Simonsig 7 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2014 Western Warhorse 6 Tom Scudamore David Pipe
2015 Un de Sceaux 7 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
2016 Douvan 6 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
2017 Altior 7 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson
2018 Footpad 6 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
2019 Duc des Genievres 6 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
2020 Put The Kettle On 6 Aidan Coleman Henry De Bromhead
  1. The 1947 edition was abandoned due to snow and frost
  2. amateur jockey
  3. The 2001 running was cancelled because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.

See also

References
  1. "Arkle Profile".
  2. "Sporting Life sponsors the Arkle".
  • cheltenham.co.uk – Media information pack (2010).
  • pedigreequery.com – Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase – Cheltenham.
  • Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 56. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.
  • Race Recordings
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