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.
| Grade 1 race | |
| Location | Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England |
|---|---|
| Race type | Steeplechase |
| Sponsor | My Pension Expert |
| Website | Cheltenham |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1m 7f 199y (3,499 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 7 lb Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse | £175,000 (2024) 1st: £98,473 |
| 2024 | ||
 |  |  |
| Gaelic Warrior | Found A Fifty | Il Etait Temps |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ||
 |  |  |
| El Fabiolo | Jonbon | Saint Roi |
| 2022 | ||
 |  | |
| Edwardstone | Gabynako | Blue Lord |
| 2021 | ||
 |  |  |
| Shishkin | Eldorado Allen | Captain Guinness |
| 2020-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ||
 | |  |
| Put The Kettle On | Fakir D'Oudairies | Rouge Vif |
| 2019 | ||
 |  |  |
| Duc Des Genievres | Us And Them | Articulum |
| 2018 | ||
|  |  |
| Footpad | Brain Power | Petit Mouchoir |
| 2017 | ||
 |  |  |
| Altior | Cloudy Dream | Ordinary World |
| 2016 | ||
|  |  |
| Douvan | Sizing John | Fox Norton |
| 2015 | ||
 |  |  |
| Un De Sceaux | God's Own | Josses Hill |
| 2014 | ||
 | | |
| Western Warhorse | Champagne Fever | Trifolium |
| 2013 | ||
 |  |  |
| Simonsig | Baily Green | His Excellency |
| 2012 | ||
 |  |  |
| Sprinter Sacre | Cue Card | Menorah |
| 2011 | ||
| |  |
| Captain Chris | Finian's Rainbow | Realt Dubh |
| 2010-2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
|  |  |
| Sizing Europe | Somersby | Osana |
| 2009 | ||
 |  |  |
| Forpadydeplasterer | Kalahari King | Planet of Sound |
| 2008 | ||
 |  |  |
| Tidal Bay | Kruguyrova | Noland |
| 2007 | ||
 |  |  |
| My Way de Solzen | Fair Along | Jack The Giant |
| 2006 | ||
 |  | |
| Voy Por Ustedes | Monet's Garden | Foreman |
| 2005 | ||
 |  |  |
| Contraband | Ashley Brook | River City |
| 2004 | ||
|  |  |
| Well Chief | Kicking King | Le Duc |
| 2003 | ||
|  |  |
| Azertyuiop | Impek | Isio |
| 2002 | ||
 |  |  |
| Moscow Flyer | Seebald | Armaturk |
| 2000-1991 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ||
 | |  |
| Tiutchev | Cenkos | Decoupage |
| 1999 | ||
 |  |  |
| Flagship Uberalles | Tresor De Mai | Nipper Reed |
| 1998 | ||
|  |  |
| Champleve | Hill Society | Mandys Mantino |
| 1997 | ||
| |  |
| Or Royal | Squire Silk | Celibate |
| 1996 | ||
 |  |  |
| Ventana Canyon | Arctic Kinsman | Super Coin |
| 1995 | ||
|  | |
| Klairon Davis | Sound Man | Camitrov |
| 1994 | ||
|  |  |
| Nakir | Baydon Star | Southolt |
| 1993 | ||
 | |  |
| Travado | Wonder Man | Sybillin |
| 1992 | ||
 | |  |
| Young Pokey | Tinryland | Space Fair |
| 1991 | ||
 | _Limited.svg) |  |
| Remittance Man | Uncle Ernie | Redundant Pal |
| 1990-1988 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | ||
 |  |  |
| Comandante | Kiichi | Young Snugfit |
| 1989 | ||
 |  |  |
| Waterloo Boy | Southern Minstrel | Sabin Du Loir |
| 1988 | ||
|  |  |
| Danish Flight | Abbey Glen | Barnbrook Again |
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 to 2023 the race was 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 Put The Kettle On, the winner of the latter event in 2021. 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 (7 wins):
- Nicky Henderson – Remittance Man (1991), Travado (1993), Tiutchev (2000), Sprinter Sacre (2012), Simonsig (2013), Altior (2017), Shishkin (2021)
Winners since 1946
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Bright Penny | 6 | Glen Kelly | Bobby Norris |
| no race 1947 [a] | ||||
| 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[b] | 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 |
| no race 2001 [c] | ||||
| 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 |
| 2021 | Shishkin | 7 | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson |
| 2022 | Edwardstone | 8 | Tom Cannon | Alan King |
| 2023 | El Fabiolo | 6 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
| 2024 | Gaelic Warrior | 6 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
See also
References
- 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.
External links
- Race Recordings [1]