Arkle Challenge Chase (Cotswold Chase)
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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. |
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| Arkle Challenge Chase 2011 | Grade 1 | 2 miles | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | CAPTAIN CHRIS | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs | Mrs Diana Wheatley 6/1 |
| 2 | FINIAN'S RAINBOW | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson | Michael Buckley 7/2 |
| 3 | REALT DUBH | Paul Carberry | Noel Meade Ire | Mr D J Sharkey 17/2 |
| 4 | MEDERMIT | Robert Thornton | Alan King | Dunkley & Reilly Partnership 11/4 fav |
| 5 | GHIZAO | Timmy Murphy | Paul Nicholls | Johnson & Stewart Families 4/1 |
| 6 | GIORGIO QUERCUS | Paddy Brennan | Nicky Henderson | Sir Robert Ogden 33/1 |
| 7 | DAN BREEN | Tom Scudamore | David Pipe | Stuart Mercer 20/1 |
| 8 | ROCK NOIR | A P McCoy | Jonjo O'Neill | John P McManus 14/1 |
| 9 | STAGECOACH PEARL | Shane Byrne | Sue Smith | John & Jacqueline Conroy 40/1 |
| PU | WEST WITH THE WIND | Paul Moloney | Evan Williams | Mrs Janet Davies 33/1 |
| Over round 114% | ||||
| This race was staged on Tuesday 15th March 2011 when Captain Chris beat Finian's Rainbow and Realt Dubh by 2 3/4 lengths and 6 lengths | ||||
