Arkle Challenge Chase (Cotswold Chase)

 The Arkle Challenge Trophy is a Grade 1 race open to 5-year-olds and above and is run on the Old Course over 2 miles and 13 fences. The race, named in honour of the Gold Cup winner Arkle, is for novices and is traditionally run as the second race on the opening day of the Festival, but was first introduced into the Festival programme in 1969 as a replacement for the Cotswold Chase, a race which was first run at the Festival in 1923 and still exists today, but is no longer part of the Festival programme.
Early history:-The inaugural running of the Arkle Challenge Chase took place on Wednesday 19th March 1969 and was won by Chatham (10/1) trained by Fred Rimell and ridden by Terry Biddlecombe, beating Straight Fort (5/1) and King Dolphin (20/1) by 2 lengths and 8 lengths.

Over the entire history of the race 28% of favourites have been successful, placing the race 12th of the 28 current races.
Over the entire history of the race a level stake bet of £10 on every favourite would have resulted in a £270 loss, placing the race 26th of the current 28 races.
Over the entire history of the race the Irish have been successful 17% of occasions, placing the race 22nd of the 28 current races.
Cotswold Chase 1938 Grade 1 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 THE UPLIFTER R Burford Ivor Anthony Mr F Clark 100/8
2 TALLIN D L Jones Stalbridge Lord Stalbridge 100/9
3 PRAXITELES J Bissill R Jarvis Mr Francis 6/1
4 RED PRINCE T F Carey Beeby Mr V H Smith 5/1
5 TEDDY THE BOLD Bruce Hobbs Reg Hobbs Mrs F Clark 6/4 fav
6 HYGIENE T Isaac Bankier Mr C Heber-Percy 100/6
7 SEPTEMBER G Wilson Elwell Mr L Partridge 100/7
8 LUTON D Ruttle W Stubbs Mr Whitelaw 20/1
9 NATIONAL NIGHT H A Jones Jack Anthony Mr J H Whitney 100/6
10 KNIGHT OF THE DOWNS J Harte Ainslie Mr Ainslie 20/1
11 SHANDWICK PLACE T McNeill Hardinge Mr Hardinge 20/1
12 PIKE LAW R Edgeley Holman Mrs C Heber-Percy 20/1
13 HEROD'S GIFT P Fitzgerald Cockton Mr Norbury 20/1
14 TIDEFORD Mr E C Paget Paget Mr E Paget 20/1
15 CLARKSON W Wright Hampton Mr Ransom 20/1
16 POT HUNTER T Crabb Roberts Mrs N Roberts 100/8
17 IBRAHIM II D Morgan F Hartigan Mr M Wertheimer 10/1
18 LUXBOROUGH R Morgan C Pratt Mr J de Rothschild 10/1
  Over round 167%

This race was staged on Wednesday 9th March 1938 when The Uplifter beat Tallin and Praxiteles by a neck and 4 lengths