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 2006 Grade 1 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 VUY POR USTEDES Robert Thornton Alan King Sir Robert Ogden 15/2
2 MONET'S GARDEN Tony Dobbin Nicky Richards David Wesley Yates 8/1
3 FOREMAN A P McCoy Thierry Doumen John P McManus 5/1
4 WILD PASSION Paul Carberry Noel Meade Ire D P Sharkey 20/1
5 DON'T BE SHY Timmy Murphy Martin Pipe Johnson Family 12/1
6 MISSED THAT Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins Ire Mrs Violet O'Leary 6/1
7 RACING DEMON Sam Thomas Henrietta Knight Mrs T P Radford 9/2 fav
8 ARTEEA Andrew McNamara Michael Hourigan Ire Michael O'Flaherty 33/1
9 TAMARINBLEU Tom Scudamore Martin Pipe Arthur White Partnership 33/1
10 CERIUM Paddy Brennan Paul Nicholls Fulton, Hayward, Fisher, Brady 50/1
11 COAT OF HONOUR Graham Lee Howard Johnson Andrea & Graham Wylie 33/1
12 MID DANCER Conor O'Dwyer A Chaille-Chaillie S Mulryan 14/1
F ACCORDION ETOILE Barry Geraghty Paul Nolan Ire Banjo Syndicate 7/1
PU CROSSBOW CREEK Jamie Moore Mark Rimell Mark Rimell 100/1
  Over round 119%
This race was staged on Tuesday 14th March 2006 when Voy Por Ustedes beat Monet's Garden and Foreman by 1 1/4 lengths and 5 lengths