RACE HISTORY
- TheĀ Arkle Challenge TrophyĀ is a Grade 1Ā National HuntĀ steeplechaseĀ in Great Britain which is open toĀ horsesĀ aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course atĀ Cheltenham, England, over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile, 7Ā furlongsĀ and 199 yards, or 3,199 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is forĀ noviceĀ chasers, and takes place each year during theĀ Cheltenham Festival in March.
- 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.
- 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 toĀ Arkle, a three-time winner of theĀ Cheltenham Gold CupĀ 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 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 byĀ GuinnessĀ from 1994 to 1999, and from 2000 to 2011 it was sponsored by theĀ Irish IndependentĀ newspaper. TheĀ Racing Post newspaper sponsored the race from 2012 to 2020. From 2021 the race was sponsored by Sporting Life.
- Several winners of the race have subsequently achieved victory in the most prestigious two-mile chase in the National Hunt calendar, theĀ 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’sĀ Cheltenham Gold Cup.
- In 2020, Put the Kettle On became the first MareĀ to win the race since Anaglogs Daughter in 1980.
FACTS, STATS AND TRENDS
I have created three levels for these below – PRIME, MAIN, NEGATIVE
- Generally speaking only good horses win this race, and you need to be coming here having won last time out, having won a Grade 1 on your last racecourse appearance, and I also suggest their is nowt wrong with having a string of 1’s next to your name either.
- If your fancy is trained by either Willie Mullins or Nicky Henderson that too gets a big thumbs up from the stats, as they have been responsible for 10 of the last 13 winners. Mullins currently leads 6-4.
- Look primarily for horses that arrived having won last time out as 14 winners of the last 16 had a No.1 next to their names as they lined up.Ā
OFFICIAL RATINGS
- No fewer than 11 of the last 17 winners of this race were officially top rated.
- Pay specific attention to horses rated 160+ and do not go looking for ghosts as they do not exist. If you look at this as a race you might try to find a longshot winning, you are much more likely to be binning your ticket. The fact is 16 of the last 19 winners returned SP’s shorter than 7/1, and that tells a tale.
- Steer clear of anything Paul Nicholls sends for this race. He has seen 12 of his last 13 runners in the Arkle finish out of the frame. Likewise Gordon Elliott, who has not yet managed to win an Arkle from admittedly limited entries, but only one of the six he has run has placed.Ā
STATS & TRENDS
PRIME
š – 20 OF THE LAST 25 WINNERS WERE AGED 5 OR 6
š – 11 OF THE LAST 14 WINNERS WERE TRAINED BY MULLINS (6), OR HENDERSON (4)
š – 8 OF THE LAST 13 WINNERS HAD WON AT GRADE 1 OR 2 OVER HURDLES AND FENCES
š – HORSES RATED 160+ HAVE WON EIGHT OF THE LAST 16 RENEWALS OF THIS RACE
MAIN
š – 27 OF THE LAST 35 WINNERS WERE AGED SIX, OR SEVEN
š – 17 OF THE LAST 24 WINNERS HAD RACED THREE OR FOUR TIMES OVER FENCES
š – 10 OF THE LAST 14 FAVS HAVE WON
š – 15 OF THE LAST 22 WINNERS HAD RACED AT THE FESTIVAL THE SEASON BEFORE
NEGATIVE
š – NO 5-Y-O HAS WON THE ARKLE SINCE 2006
š – ONLY 2 OF THE LAST 24 WINNERS HAD NOT WON AT GRADE 1 OR 2 OVER OBSTACLES
š – ONLY 3 OF THE LAST 34 WINNERS WERE OLDER THAN 7-Y-O
š – ONLY THREE WINNERS THIS CENTURY ARRIVED HAVING FALLEN OR UNSEATED IN A PREVIOUS RACE.
INTERESTING
One of the races that has effectively suffered as a result of the introduction of another at the Festival. The Arkle now tends to attract a smaller field size because the Turners was created. Eight of the last 10 favourites have now won this race. I’ll be looking to see if Henderson has anything for the Wayward Lad Novices’ this time around because the winners of four renewals of that race have gone on to win this in the last 12 years, three trained by Nicky Henderson. Two of those four winners, ALTIOR and SHISHKIN, had won the Supreme Novices’ the season before taking this race, and in this year’s renewal of that race he had nothing representing him.
On December 27th, 2024, SIR GINO bolted up in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton and will bid to make it five winners in the last 14 years to double up in the Arkle.
Winning Horse and Age
- 2014 – WESTERN WARHORSE – AGE 6
- 2015 – UN DE SEAUX – AGE 7
- 2016 – DOUVAN – AGE 6
- 2017 – ALTIOR – AGE 7
- 2018 – FOOTPAD – AGE 6
- 2019 – DUC DES GENIEVRES – AGE 6
- 2020 – PUT THE KETTLE ON – AGE 6
- 2021 – SHISHKIN – AGE 7
- 2022 – EDWARDSTONE – AGE 8
- 2023 – EL FABIOLO – AGE 6
- 2024 – GAELIC WARRIOR – AGE 6
- 2025 – JANGO BAIE – AGE 6
- 2026 – KARGESE – AGE 6
- 2027 –Ā
Winning Trainer/JockeyĀ
- 2014 – DAVID PIPE / TOM SCUDAMORE
- 2015 – WILLIE MULLINS / RUBY WALSH
- 2016 – WILLIE MULLINS / RUBY WALSH
- 2017 – NICKY HENDERSON / NICO DE BOINVILLE
- 2018 – WILLIE MULLINS / RUBY WALSH
- 2019 – WILLIE MULLINS / PAUL TOWNEND
- 2020 – HENRY DE BROMHEAD / AIDAN COLEMAN
- 2021 – NICKY HENDERSON / NICO DE BOINVILLE
- 2022 – ALAN KING / TOM CANNON
- 2023 – WILLIE MULLINS / PAUL TOWNEND
- 2024 – WILLIE MULLINS / PAUL TOWNEND
- 2025 – NICKY HENDERSON / NICO DE BOINVILLE
- 2026 – WILLIE MULLINS / DANNY MULLINS
- 2027 –Ā
OFFICIAL RATINGS
- 2014 – WESTERN WARHORSE – 135
- 2015 – UN DE SCEAUX – 166
- 2016 – DOUVAN – 161
- 2017 – ALTIOR Ā – 170
- 2018 – FOOTPAD – 162
- 2019 – DUC DE GENIEVRES – 151
- 2020 – PUT THE KETTLE ON – 144
- 2021 – SHISHKIN – 164
- 2022 – EDWARDSTONE – 159
- 2023 – EL FABIOLO – 162
- 2024 – GAELIC WARRIOR – 157
- 2025 – JANGO BAIE – 153
- 2026 – KARGESE –Ā 149
- 2027 –Ā
RP RATINGS
- 2014 – WESTERN WARHORSE – 161
- 2015 – UN DE SCEAUX – 169
- 2016 – DOUVAN – 165
- 2017 – ALTIOR Ā – 169
- 2018 – FOOTPAD – 170
- 2019 – DUC DE GENIEVRES – 166
- 2020 – PUT THE KETTLE ON – 160
- 2021 – SHISHKIN – 175
- 2022 – EDWARDSTONE – 162
- 2023 – EL FABIOLO – 172
- 2024 – GAELIC WARRIOR – 172
- 2025 – JANGO BAIE – 163
- 2026 – KARGESE –Ā 159
- 2027 –Ā
STARTING PRICES
- 2014 – WESTERN WARHORSE – 33/1
- 2015 – UN DE SCEAUX – 4/6F
- 2016 – DOUVAN – 1/4F
- 2017 – ALTIOR Ā – 1/4F
- 2018 – FOOTPAD – 5/6F
- 2019 – DUC DE GENIEVRES – 5/1
- 2020 – PUT THE KETTLE ON – 16/1
- 2021 – SHISHKIN – 4/9F
- 2022 – EDWARDSTONE – 5/2F
- 2023 – EL FABIOLO – 11/10F
- 2024 – GAELIC WARRIOR – 2/1F
- 2025 – JANGO BAIE – 5/1
- 2026 –Ā KARGESE – 7/1
- 2027 –Ā
FULL STATS TABLE
| YEAR | WINNER | AGE | OR | RPR | SP |
| 2014 | WESTERN WARHORSE | 6 | 135 | 161 | 33/1 |
| 2015 | UN DE SCEAUX | 7 | 166 | 169 | 4/6F |
| 2016 | DOUVAN | 6 | 161 | 165 | 1/4F |
| 2017 | ALTIOR | 7 | 170 | 169 | 1/4F |
| 2018 | FOOTPAD | 6 | 162 | 170 | 5/6F |
| 2019 | DUC DES GENEVRIERES | 6 | 151 | 166 | 5/1 |
| 2020 | PUT THE KETTLE ON | 6 | 144 | 160 | 16/1 |
| 2021 | SHISHKIN | 7 | 164 | 175 | 4/9F |
| 2022 | EDWARDSTONE | 8 | 159 | 162 | 5/2F |
| 2023 | EL FABIOLO | 6 | 162 | 172 | 11/10F |
| 2024 | GAELIC WARRIOR | 6 | 157 | 172 | 2/1F |
| 2025 | JANGO BAIE | 6 | 153 | 163 | 5/1 |
| 2026 | Ā KARGESE | Ā 6 | Ā 149 | Ā 159 | Ā 7/1 |
| 2027 | Ā | Ā | Ā | Ā | Ā |
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RELEVANT RACES
Races to pay attention to during the season with regards this race are:
- Beginners Chase (Nov 27th)
- Irish Arkle (Feb 3rd)
- Wayward Lad Novices’ (Dec 27th)
- Racing Post Novices’ Chase (Dec 26th)
- Irish Stallion Farms Beginners Chase (Nov 18th)
- Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (Dec 9th)
CURRENT ODDS
- LULAMBA – 13/8
- KOPEK DES BORDES – 9/4
- ROMEO COOLIO – 8/1
- KARGESE – 8/1
- MAMBONUMBERFIVE – 16/1
- STEEL ALLY – 20/1
- IRISH PANTHER – 20/1
- 33/1 BAR
MARKET MOVEMENTS
TO FOLLOW
ANTE-POST PLAY
TO FOLLOW
