2011 Arkle Challenge Trophy Form

Race OverviewGhizao impressed with his two wins late last year and Realt Dubh looks a solid Irish challenger but MEDERMIT has looked increasingly persuasive over fences and can emerge on top. There was not much between him and Captain Chris over 2m4f at Sandown but he looked clearly the more likely candidate for this race. Finian's Rainbow looks the other leading player.[Richard Austen]

Odds provided by Paddypower

No.		Runner	Details	Rating
1		Captain Chris (IRE) R Johnson P Hobbs	7 yrs / 161 lbs -22221	153

CommentCaptain Chris

Excellent prospect but could be vulnerable back in trip

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
26/02/11	KEM 20GSCl1 NvG2Ch,13K	154 lbs	Richard Johnson	1/3 13l, Adams Island[2/5F]11-4 cheekpiece
05/02/11	SAN 20GdCl1 NvG1Ch,21K	158 lbs	Richard Johnson	2/9 1/2l, Medermit[4/1]11-4
29/12/10	NBY 18GSCl3 NvCh,6K	154 lbs	Richard Johnson	2/9 4 1/2l, Ghizao[13/8F]11-10
14/11/10	CHL 16GSCl1 NvG2Ch,17K	156 lbs	Richard Johnson	2/5 10l, Ghizao[5/2F]11-2
23/10/10	CHP 20SftCl1 NvG2Hd,14K	161 lbs	Richard Johnson	2/8 10l, Silviniaco Conti[7/4F]11-7

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2

Dan Breen (IRE) T Scudamore D Pipe

6 yrs / 161 lbs 5-0211d

148

CommentDan Breen

Front-runner; hampered Giorgio Quercus latest; blinkers on

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
25/02/11	SAN 16SftCl2 NvCh,8K	157 lbs	Tom Scudamore	2/3 Sht-hd, Giorgio Quercus[15/8]11-3
15/12/10	BAN 17GSCl4 NvCh,4K	154 lbs	Tom Scudamore	1/9 11l, Hollo Ladies[3/1F]11-0
03/11/10	WAR 16GdCl3 NvCh,6K	155 lbs	Tom Scudamore	2/7 2 1/2l, Darby's Turn[4/5F]11-1
08/05/10	HAY 16GdCl1 G3HdHc,43K	155 lbs	Johnny Farrelly	20/23 95l, Eradicate[16/1]10-1
09/04/10	Ain 16GdCl1 NvG2Hd,34K	158 lbs	Tom Scudamore	5/9 15 1/2l, General Miller[12/1]11-4

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3

Finian's Rainbow (IRE) B J Geraghty N Henderson

8 yrs / 161 lbs 15-111

156

CommentFinian's Rainbow

Jumping errors latest but very classy and tactics may revert

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
12/02/11	WAR 16GSCl1 NvG2Ch,18K	158 lbs	Andrew Tinkler	1/4 11l, Stagecoach Pearl[2/5F]11-7
19/01/11	NBY 17SftCl3 NvCh,4K	158 lbs	Barry Geraghty	1/3 51l, Babysitter[2/13F]10-12
25/11/10	NBY 17GSCl3 NvCh,6K	154 lbs	Barry Geraghty	1/3 12l, Hell's Bay[2/5F]11-4 tongue str
17/03/10	CHL 21GdCl1 NvG1Hd,57K	161 lbs	Barry Geraghty	5/17 6 3/4l, Peddlers Cross[11/2]11-7
20/02/10	ASC 19GSCl3 NvHd,5K	162 lbs	Barry Geraghty	1/7 3l, Arkose[4/11F]11-5

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4

Ghizao (GER) T J Murphy P Nicholls

7 yrs / 161 lbs 08-211

157

CommentGhizao

Twice beat Captain Chris well; jumps well and probably best form

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
29/12/10	NBY 18GSCl3 NvCh,6K	164 lbs	Timmy Murphy	1/9 4 1/2l, Captain Chris[11/4]11-0 tongue str
14/11/10	CHL 16GSCl1 NvG2Ch,17K	156 lbs	Timmy Murphy	1/5 10l, Captain Chris[13/2]11-2 tongue str
16/10/10	CHL 16GdCl2 NvCh,9K	156 lbs	R Walsh	2/6 11l, Kilmurry[13/8F]11-10
10/04/10	Ain 16GdCl2 CdHdHc,25K	163 lbs	Nick Scholfield	8/21 12l, Dee Ee Williams[9/2F]11-12 blinkers
17/03/10	CHL 21GdCl1 NvG1Hd,57K	161 lbs	Timmy Murphy	12/17 60 1/2l, Peddlers Cross[20/1]11-7

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5

Giorgio Quercus (FR) P Brennan N Henderson

6 yrs / 161 lbs 2/1F11

148

CommentGiorgio Quercus

Improved but needs more again in this company

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
25/02/11	SAN 16SftCl2 NvCh,8K	157 lbs	Barry Geraghty	1/3 Sht-hd, Dan Breen[11/4]11-3
25/01/11	LEI 16GdCl3 NvCh,5K	152 lbs	Barry Geraghty	1/4 6l, Thumbs Up[4/6F]11-4
02/01/11	PLU 17GSCl3 NvCh,6K	152 lbs	A P McCoy	F/5Tullamore Dew[11/8]11-4
21/12/10	KEM 16St/SlwCl4 NHF,2K	154 lbs	A P McCoy	1/10 1 1/4l, Bermuda Boy[7/4F]11-0
18/04/09	AYR 16Gd 4yCl3 NvHd,8K	162 lbs	Barry Geraghty	2/4 15l, Apartman[7/4J]10-12

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6

Medermit (FR) R Thornton A King

7 yrs / 161 lbs -1R121

155

CommentMedermit

Proven class and increasingly good impression as chaser

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
05/02/11	SAN 20GdCl1 NvG1Ch,21K	158 lbs	Robert Thornton	1/9 1/2l, Captain Chris[5/2F]11-4 tongue str
01/01/11	CHL 21GSCl1 NvG2Ch,14K	158 lbs	Robert Thornton	2/13 3/4l, Hell's Bay[9/2]11-4
13/12/10	PLU 17GSCl3 NvCh,6K	159 lbs	Robert Thornton	1/7 3 1/4l, Tullamore Dew[6/4F]11-5
10/11/10	HUN 16GSCl3 NvCh,6K	161 lbs	Wayne Hutchinson	REF/4Harry Tricker[1/5F]11-7 cheekpiece
23/10/10	Ain 16GSCl3 NvCh,7K	156 lbs	Wayne Hutchinson	1/3 88l, Alaskan Prince[1/5F]11-2

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7

Realt Dubh (IRE) P Carberry N Meade

7 yrs / 161 lbs 1F1211

147

CommentRealt Dubh

Top Irish horse in this division and accorded plenty of respect

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
23/01/11	LEO 17SftNvG1Ch,45K	166 lbs	P Carberry	1/6 Hd, Noble Prince[5/2F]11-12
30/12/10	LEO 17HyNvG1Ch,52K	166 lbs	P Carberry	1/8 5l, Noble Prince[10/1]11-12
15/12/10	FAI 20SftNvG1Ch,46K	164 lbs	P Carberry	2/9 5l, Jessies Dream[9/2]11-10
14/11/10	PUN 16Sft/HyNvG2Ch,23K	158 lbs	D J Condon	1/5 6l, Gates Of Rome[4/7F]11-4
24/10/10	GAL 17GdNvG3Ch,18K	155 lbs	P Carberry	F/5Head Of The Posse[11/10F]11-1

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8

Rock Noir (FR) A P McCoy Jonjo O'Neill

6 yrs / 161 lbs -21314

146

CommentRock Noir

Jumping errors latest; more to prove than some of these

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
05/02/11	SAN 20GdCl1 NvG1Ch,21K	158 lbs	A P McCoy	4/9 7 3/4l, Medermit[15/2]11-4
31/12/10	WAR 16SftCl4 NvCh,3K	161 lbs	A P McCoy	1/3 7l, Keki Buku[9/4]11-0
10/11/10	BAN 17SftCl2 Ch,16K	162 lbs	A P McCoy	3/4 47l, Fiendish Flame[7/4F]11-8
02/11/10	EXE 17GSCl2 NvCh,10K	155 lbs	A P McCoy	1/4 1l, Phidippides[9/2]11-1
03/10/10	HUN 16GdCl3 NvCh,6K	156 lbs	A P McCoy	2/6 17l, Cockney Trucker[8/11F]11-8

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9

Stagecoach Pearl S Byrne Mrs S Smith

7 yrs / 161 lbs 113112

147

CommentStagecoach Pearl

Front-runner; better than latest 2nd to Finian's Rainbow

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
12/02/11	WAR 16GSCl1 NvG2Ch,18K	161 lbs	Shane Byrne	2/4 11l, Finian's Rainbow[6/1]11-4
20/11/10	HAY 16GSCl2 ChHc,16K	161 lbs	Shane Byrne	1/8 15l, Tara Royal[7/2]11-5 tongue str
24/10/10	Ain 16GSCl2 ChHc,9K	151 lbs	Shane Byrne	1/6 22l, Awesome George[100/30]11-9
15/08/10	STH 16GdCl4 NvCh,4K	166 lbs	A P McCoy	3/6 12 1/2l, Novikov[10/11F]11-3 tongue str
27/07/10	WOR 16GdCl3 ChHc,5K	149 lbs	A P McCoy	1/7 4l, Knight Legend[8/11F]11-5 tongue str

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10

West With The Wind P Moloney E Williams

6 yrs / 161 lbs -12111

148

CommentWest With The Wind

Good on sound surface; off since August; not far away on ratings

Date	Race Conditions	Weight	Jockey	Race Outcome
27/08/10	Ffo 16GdCl2 ChHc,19K	166 lbs	Paul Moloney	1/9 1 1/4l, Yellow Flag[7/1]10-9
17/06/10	Ffo 16GFCl3 NvCh,6K	162 lbs	Paul Moloney	1/3 1/2l, Lady Hillingdon[11/8F]10-5 tongue str
01/06/10	Ffo 16GFCl4 NvCh,4K	159 lbs	Paul Moloney	1/4 14l, The Jigsaw Man[7/2]10-12
07/05/10	Ain 16GdCl4 NvCh,5K	159 lbs	Paul Moloney	2/4 1/2l, Miss Sarenne[15/8F]10-5
25/04/10	LUD 16GFCl3 NvCh,6K	152 lbs	Paul Moloney	1/5 21l, Remember Bampi[EvensF]10-5 tongue str

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Medermit has long been touted as an Arkle challenger this season but his odds drifted following his refusal to jump half way round Huntingdon back in November. He tried to run out of the jump but in the end grinded to a halt to confuse connections and his price drifted at the time. He has however put that run to bed after retuning with another comfortable win at Plumpton, he was the class of the race and despite one or two jumping errors was an impressive winner. Perhaps his most impressive run of the season from Medermit was his win in the Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown last time out and connections have decided that Medermit will take in the Arkle Chase at the Festival rather than the new Jewson Novices Chase.

Paul Nicholls proved he had a real Arkle Contender in Ghizao for the 2011 Festival following his win at the Cheltenham Open Meeting back in November, he won the November Novices Chase at the meeting in fine style and his Arkle price was slashed as a result across the board. He confirmed his talent with a convincing win in the Bathwick Tyres Novices Chase at Newbury over Christmas and he now goes straight to Cheltenham with plenty of support. He beat a high class field including fellow Arkle contenders Captain Chris and Surfing at Newbury and that looks solid form over 2 miles ahead of the Arkle.

Nicky Henderson has a strong Arkle contender on his hands in Finians Rainbow who was a highly impressive winner on his novice chasing debut, he jumped in great style at Newbury in the Rooney Hall Novices Chase and looked to have more in hand. The bookmakers were hugely impressed with the run and slashed his Arkle odds in half following that win. He has progressed through the season well with two more comfortable wins at Newbury and Warwick last time out and although Finians Rainbow has not faced too much so far he remains unbeaten over fences and looks to have more in hand.

There is always a strong challenge from Ireland in the Arkle and perhaps the leading contender from across the sea is Realt Dubh who looks to be improving with every run. He has two Grade 1 wins to his name recently with a win in the Bord Na Mona Novice Chase in December followed up with a win in Irish Arkle last time out, both wins have come at Leopardstown. The Noel Meade horse is improving with every run and both of those wins have seen the game Noble Prince back in second place, while Flat Out fell two from home in the Irish Arkle to rob us of the chance to see his potential and he will now miss the Festival through injury.

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