Cheltenham Festival 2015 Results

Tuesday, March 10 – – – Wed | Thu | Fri

1.30pm SkyBet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
(Grade One) 2m 110yds £120,000
1 Douvan 2/1F
2 Shaneshill 9/1
3 Sizing John 25/1
12 ran

2.05pm Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase
(Grade One) 2m £150,000
1 Un De Sceaux 4/6F
2 God’s Own 33/1
3 Josses Hill 12/1
11 ran

2.40pm Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase
(Grade Three) 3m 1f £90,000
1 The Druids Nephew 8/1
2 Grand Jesture 25/1
3 Gallant Oscar 9/1
4 Indian Castle 16/1
5 Pendra 9/1
24 ran

3.20pm Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
(Grade One) 2m 110yds £400,000
1 Faugheen 4/5
2 Arctic Fire 20/1
3 Hurricane Fly 8/1
8 ran

4.00pm OLBG Mares’ Hurdle
(Grade Two) 2m 4f £100,000
1 Glens Melody 6/1
2 Polly Peachum 9/1
3 Bitofapuzzle 16/1
15 ran

4.40pm Toby Balding National Hunt Chase
(Amateurs) 4m £85,000
1 Cause Of Causes 8/1
2 Broadway Buffalo 12/1
3 The Job Is Right 10/1
4 Perfect Gentleman 10/1
17 ran

5.15pm CHAPS Restaurants Barbados Novices’ Handicap Chase
(Listed) 2m 4f 110y £60,000
1 Irish Cavalier 11/1
2 Thomas Crapper 6/1F
3 Generous Ranson 8/1
4 Horizontal Speed 12/1
5 Knock House 12/1
20 ran

Wednesday, March 11 – – – Tue | Thu | Fri

1.30pm
Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle
(Grade One) 2m 5f £120,000
1 Windsor Park 9/2
2 Parlour Games 13/2
3 Nichols Canyon 7/2F
10 ran

2.05pm RSA Chase
(Grade One) 3m 110yds £150,000
1 Don Poli 13/8F
2 Southfield Theatre 13/2
3 Wounded Warrior 12/1
8 ran

2.40pm Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
(Grade Three) 2m 5f £80,000
1 Aux Ptit Soins 9/1
2 Zabana 25/1
3 Activial 17/2F
4 Tagliatelle 14/1
5 Volnay De Thaix 18/1
6 Hammersly Lake 25/1
25 ran

3.20pm BetWay Queen Mother Champion Chase
(Grade One) 2m £350,000
1 Dodging Bullets 9/2
2 Somersby 33/1
3 Special Tiara 18/1
9 ran

4.00pm Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase
(Handicap) 3m 7f £60,000
1 Rivage D’Or 16/1
2. Any Currency 7/1
3. Uncle Junior 20/1
4. Dogora 20/1
16 ran

4.40pm Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
(Grade Three) 2m 110yds £75,000
1 Qualando 25/1
2 Bouvreuil 14/1
3 The Saint James 33/1
4 Starchitect 16/1
22 ran

5.15pm Weatherbys Champion Bumper
(Grade One) 2m 110yds £60,000
1 Moon Racer 9/2F
2 Modus 33/1
3 Wait For Me 9/1
4 Yanworth 16/1
23 ran

Thursday, March 12 – – – Tue | Wed | Fri

1.30pm JLT Novices’ Chase
(Listed Race) 2m 5f £120,000
1 Vautour 6/4
2 Apache Stronghold 7/1
3 Valseur Lido 9/2
8 ran

2.05pm Pertemps Network Final
(Listed Race) 3m £80,000
1 Call The Cops 9/1
2 Unique De Cotte 14/1
3 The Tourad Man 20/1
4 Henryville 50/1
5 Aqalim 25/1
23 ran

2.40pm Ryanair Chase
(Grade One) 2m 5f £300,000
1 Uxizandre 16/1
2 Ma Filleule 5/1
3 Don Cossack 5/2
14 ran

3.20pm Ladbrokes World Hurdle
(Grade One) 3m £300,000
1 Cole Harden 14/1
2 Saphir Du Rheu 5/1F
3 Zarkandar 6/1
4 At Fishers Cross 14/1
16 ran

4.00pm Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate
(Grade Three) 2m 5f £90,000
1 Darna 33/1
2 Monetaire 11/2F
3 Rawnaq 25/1
4 Buywise 15/2
23 ran

4.40pm Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
(Amateurs) 3m 2f £60,000
1 The Package 9/1
2 Bless The Wings 28/1
3 Buddy Bolero 20/1
4 Grand Vision 11/1
5 Heaney 20/1
24 ran

5.15pm St Patrick’s Day Derby
(Charity Race) 1m 5f
1 Knights Parade (James Collins)
2 Hurricane Ridge (Hayley O’Connor)
3 Monarch’s Way (Jonathan Mills)
12 ran

Friday, March 13 – – – Tue | Wed | Thu
1.30pm JCB Triumph Hurdle Race
(Grade One) 2m 1f £120,000
1 Peace & Co 2/1F
2 Top Notch 7/1
3 Hargam 8/1
16 ran

2.05pm Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle
(Grade Three) 2m 1f £80,000
1 Wicklow Brave 25/1
2 Sort It Out 17/2
3 Quick Jack 8/1
4 Max Dynamite 14/1
5 Analifet 33/1
24 ran

2.40pm Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
(Grade One) 3m £120,000
1 Martello Tower 14/1
2 Milsean 33/1
3 No More Heroes 6/1
4 Arbre De Vie 16/1
19 ran

3.20pm Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup
(Chase) (Grade One) 3m 2f 110yds £550,000
1 Coneygree 7/1
2 Djackadam 10/1
3 Road To Riches 8/1
4 Holywell 8/1
16 ran

4.00pm St James’s Place Foxhunter Steeplechase
(Amateurs) 3m 2f 110yds £40,000
1 On The Fringe 6/1
2 Following Dreams 50/1
3 Paint the Clouds 11/4F
4 Carsonstown Boy 11/1
24 ran

4.40pm Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
2m 4f 110yds £50,000
1 Killultagh Vic 7/1
2 Noble Endeavour 14/1
3 Roi Des Francs 3/1F
4 Kauto Grand Mogul 33/1
5 Shelford 25/1
21 ran

5.15pm A P McCoy Grand Annual Chase
(Handicap) (Grade Three) 2m 110yds £90,000
1 Next Sensation 16/1
2 Eastlake 12/1
3 Croco Bay 14/1
4 Ned Buntline 4/1J
20 ran

The total prize fund for the four days of The Festival = £3.9 million.

Arkle

In the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which was first run, as a steeplechase, in 1924, just four horses – Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate – have won the race three years running. All four have carved their names, indelibly, into Cheltenham Festival history, but none more so than Arkle, whose domination of the best horses of his day, in the mid-1960s, made him a national hero in his native Ireland. Even today, nearly five decades after his untimely death, at the age of thirteen, in 1970, Arkle is the yardstick by which all other steeplechasers are judged.

Owned by Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster and trained by Tom Dreaper in Co. Dublin, Arkle had already won what is now the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 1963 before he lined up for his first attempt at the ‘Blue Riband’ event the following year. On that occasion, the pick of the opposition was the reigning champion, Mill House – arguably the best British steeplechaser since Golden Miller but still, ultimately, rated 21lb inferior to Arkle, according to Timeform – who was sent off 8/13 favourite to retain his title. Patiently ridden by Pat Taaffe, Arkle drew alongside long-time leader at the second-last fence, took a length lead at the last and sprinted clear to win by 5 lengths; his winning time, of 6 minutes 45.6 seconds, smashed the course record.

Arkle and Mill House reopposed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1965, but this time Arkle was sent off favourite, at prohibitive odds of 30/100, to confirm the form. He did so with aplomb, effortlessly sprinting clear in the closing stages to win by 20 lengths, with Mill House toiling in his wake. Mill House missed the 1966 Cheltenham Gold Cup with tendon trouble but, by that stage, Arkle was considered so far superior to his four rivals that he was sent off the shortest-priced favourite in the history of the race, at 1/10. Arkle gave his supporters an anxious moment when ploughing through the fence in front of the stands on the first circuit, but maintained his rhythm and eventually cantered home 30 lengths clear of his nearest pursuer, Dormant.

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