Arkle Challenge Trophy 2023 Racecard

The Arkle Challenge Trophy – sometimes known as just the ‘Arkle’ - is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase which takes place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March. In November 2020, it was announced that Sporting Life would be the new sponsor of the race.

2:10 Tue 14 Mar ARKLE CHALLENGE TROPHY Distance: 15f 199y Age: 5yo + Prize: £175,000 Going: Gd/Sft Analyst's Verdict EL FABIOLO and Jonbon (won) were separated by only a neck in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree last spring. The former's comfortable defeat of Banbridge at Leopardstown last month is narrowly the best piece of 2m novice chase form this season so he's taken to edge out Nicky Henderson's charge this time. Saint Roi gets the vote for third.

ENTRY FORM	SILKS	HORSE JOCKEY & TRAINER	AGE WGT		ODDS
1		1. BALLYBREEZE J: Robert Dunne T: Samuel Drinkwater	7 11-7		BET
Looked a nice prospect when making a successful start over fences in a 2m Chepstow novice handicap in October but he's very much pitched in at the deep end on his first outing since.
2		2. DYSART DYNAMO (IRE) J: D. E. Mullins T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	7 11-7		BET
Enthusiastic front-runner who made an impressive winning start to his chase career at Leopardstown over Christmas. Did too much too soon when 10½ lengths fourth to El Fabiolo in Irish Arkle there since and it remains to be seen whether he has anything left for the hill here.
3		3. EL FABIOLO (FR) J: P. Townend T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	6 11-7		BET
Smart novice hurdler last term (second to Jonbon in Aintree Grade 1) and very impressive winner of both chase starts this time round, particularly when forging 10 lengths clear of Banbridge in Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival last month. Leading claims for yard seeking a fifth win since 2015.
4		4. HA D'OR (FR) J: S. F. O'Keeffe T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	6 11-7		BET
Made a sucsessful start to his chase career at Fairyhouse just before Christmas but his limitations have seemingly been exposed at Graded level since. His stable has some much more obvious contenders.
5		5. HOLLOW GAMES (IRE) J: Davy Russell T: Gordon Elliott, Ireland	7 11-7		BET
Matched his very useful hurdle form when making a winning start over fences at Navan in November. Bit disappointing iwhen a well-held fourth of 5 to Saint Roi in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas but he's better than that. Has had wind surgery prior to this.
6		6. JONBON (FR) J: Aidan Coleman T: Nicky Henderson	7 11-7		BET
His only defeat under Rules came when bumping into Constitution Hill in last season's Supreme. 3-3 over fences this term and though he made a bit of a meal of beating his sole rival in Grade 2 Kingmaker at Warwick last month that one did go and win a decent handicap next time. Bold show likely.
7		7. SAINT ROI (FR) J: M. P. Walsh T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	8 11-7		BET
Very smart hurdler who showed he's as good over fences with a Grade 1 success at Leopardstown over Christmas. Unseated halfway in the Irish Arkle there since. The form of that Leopardstown win has taken a couple of knocks but he remains capable of better.
8		8. STRAW FAN JACK J: Sean Houlihan T: Sheila Lewis	8 11-7		BET
Built for chasing and left his hurdle form behind when winning novices at Ffos Las (handicap) and over C&D in October. Lost his unbeaten record over fences in a Newbury handicap in November but he still ran well attempting to concede weight all round. Freshened up since, but plenty to find.
9		9. EFFERNOCK FIZZ (IRE) J: Sam Ewing T: Cian Michael Collins, Ireland	8 11-0		BET
Very useful mare. Won Welsh Champion Hurdle (Handicap) at Ffos Las in October and second in a C&D handicap chase a fortnight later. Gained an overdue first chase success in a 3-runner mares' novice at Ludlow last month but this is a whole different ball game.
Betting Forecast : 6/4 1.5 EL FABIOLO, 7/4 1.75 JONBON, 6/1 6 DYSART DYNAMO, 11/1 11 SAINT ROI, 40/1 40 HOLLOW GAMES, 50/1 50 HA D'or, 80/1 80 STRAW FAN JACK, 300/1 300 EFFERNOCK FIZZ, 300/1 300 BALLYBREEZE

First run in 1969 as a replacement for the Cotswold Chase, a previous event at the Cheltenham Festival which had been around since 1946, the race’s title pays tribute to Arkle, a three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the mid-1960s.

In its first year, the race was worth £1,365, and was won by Chatham (10/1), trained by Fred Rimell and ridden by Terry Biddlecombe. In comparison, the 2019 renewal will carry a total prize fund of £175,000, with connections of the winning horse receiving nearly £100,000 alone.

The Arkle Challenge Trophy has a history of being won multiple times by trainers and jockeys - Martin Pipe notched up successive wins with Or Royal in 1997 and Champleve in 1998, before Well Chief in 2004 and Contraband a year later gave him two more wins, with the latter beating 18 other horses.

A.P. McCoy equalled Jamie Osborne’s three wins in 2004 when scoring on Well Chief, having also been aboard Or Royal and Champleve. Now a trainer, Osborne recorded a hat-trick as a jockey between 1992 and 1994, on Young Pokey, Travado, and Nakir for three different trainers, Oliver Sherwood, Nicky Henderson and Simon Christian.

Henderson is the leading trainer in the race, his six victories spanning 27 years - Remittance Man (1991), Travado (1993), Tiutchev (2000), Sprinter Sacre (2012), Simonsig (2013) and Altior (2017).

As a result of Henderson’s success, Barry Geraghty – who rides most horses for the yard - is the leading rider in the race having registered four victories, with Moscow Flyer (2002), Forpadytheplasterer (2009), Sprinter Sacre and Simonsig .

Although Sprinter Sacre produced an excellent performance when winning the 2012 Arkle Challenge Trophy, the best Arkle Challenge Trophy winners since the turn of the century have generally been trained in Ireland.

Willie Mullins has dominated the race in recent years, thanks to victories for Un de Sceaux in 2015, Douvan in 2016 and Footpad in 2018, all of whom produced top-class performances on Timeform’s scale and were ridden by Ruby Walsh . Mullins added another in 2019 – courtesy of Duc des Genievres – though he was ridden by Paul Townend.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Altior interrupted the winning run of Mullins, and while his performance wasn’t as good, he successfully returned to the Cheltenham Festival in both 2018 and 2019 to record wins in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Indeed, the Arkle Challenge Trophy brings together the best two-mile novice chasers, so it’s only natural that many will go on to become the best two-mile chasers when stepping out of novice company the following season.

Since the turn of the century, six horses have managed the double, namely Moscow Flyer (2002/2003), Azertyuiop (2003/2004), Voy Por Ustedes (2006/2007), Sizing Europe (2010/2011), Sprinter Sacre (2012/2013, and Altior (2017/2018).

Arkle Challenge Trophy FAQs

What is the distance of the Arkle Challenge Trophy?

1 mile, seven furlongs And 199 yards.

How many obstacles are jumped in the Arkle Challenge Trophy?

13

What day of the festival is the Arkle Challenge Trophy?

Day 1

What time is the Arkle Challenge Trophy?

14:10

What weights are carried for the Arkle Challenge Trophy?

11st 4lb. 7lb allowance for mares.

What is the purse for the Arkle Challenge Trophy?

£125,000 (2019)

Who is the leading jockey in the Arkle Challenge Trophy*?

Barry Geraghty

Who is the leading trainer in the Arkle Challenge Trophy*?

Nicky Henderson

Who won the Arkle Challenge Trophy?

You can check out our Arkle Challenge Trophy results page here to see a list of previous winners.

Where can I compare the odds for the Arkle Challenge Trophy?

Click the link to visit our Arkle Challenge Trophy Odds Comparison page.

*Since 1946