Arkle Challenge Trophy

The Arkle Challenge Trophy is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

It is the leading minimum-distance chase for novices in the National Hunt calendar, and it is currently 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. The race was formerly scheduled to be run on the second day of the Festival, but it was switched to its current 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 since then it has been sponsored by the Irish Independent newspaper.

Records

Leading jockey since 1946 (3 wins):

• Glen Kelly – Bright Penny (1946), Top Cash (1948), Grand Refrain (1949)
• Pat Taaffe – Mountcashel King (1961), Ben Stack (1963), Flyingbolt (1965)
• Richard Dunwoody – Waterloo Boy (1989), Remittance Man (1991), Ventana Canyon (1996)
• Jamie Osborne – Young Pokey (1992), Travado (1993), Nakir (1994)
• Tony McCoy – Or Royal (1997), Champleve (1998), Well Chief (2004)

Leading trainer since 1946 (5 wins):

• Tom Dreaper – Fortria (1958), Mountcashel King (1961), Ben Stack (1963), Flyingbolt (1965), Alpheus (1971)

Winners since 1946

• Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".

¹ The 1947 edition was abandoned due to snow and frost.
² The 2001 running was cancelled because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.

References

• Racing Post:
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
  • 2009, 2010, 2011

• 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. 

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British National Hunt races