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.
Arkle Challenge Chase 1998 Grade 1 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 CHAMPLEVE A P McCoy Martin Pipe The Johnson Family 13/2
2 HILL SOCIETY Richard Dunwoody Noel Meade Ire Pat Garvey 8/1
3 MANDYS MANTINO Philip Hide Josh Gifford John Plackett 25/1
4 EDELWEIS DU MOULIN Paul Carberry Gordon Richards Sir Robert Ogden 6/1
5 WADE ROAD Jason Titley Henrietta Knight Earl Cadogan 7/1
6 QUEEN OF SPADES Carl Llewellyn Nigel Twiston-Davies Mrs R Vaughan 8/1
7 SPACE TRUCKER Norman Williamson Mrs Jessica Harrington Mrs Eileen Queally 9/1
8 HOH WARRIOR Graham Bradley Charlie Brooks Allport, Michaelson 25/1
9 POTTER'S GALE Adrian Maguire David Nicholson J E Potter 20/1
10 KADASTROF Andrew Thornton Robin Dickin A P Paton 11/2 fav
11 GROUND NUT Brendan Powell snr Bob Buckler Mrs R Haskins 66/1
12 DELPHI LODGE Tommy Treacy Tom Taaffe Mark Ferran 25/1
13 NON VINTAGE W Worthington Michael Chapman Alan Mann 200/1
14 LAKE CARIBA Timmy Murphy Paul Nicholls Barber, Coburn, Curry, Millard 8/1
F CHIEF'S SONG Mick Fitzgerald Simon Dow Mrs Anne Divine 33/1
F DIRECT ROUTE Tony Dobbin Howard Johnson Michael Thompson 15/2
  Over round 132%
This race was staged on Tuesday 17th March 1998 when Champleve beat Hill Society and Mandys Mantino by a short head and 1 1/2 lengths