Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1)

FOR much of the season the expectation was that this race could be heading the way of Henry de Bromhead but it was the unheralded Aidan Coleman-ridden Put The Kettle On and not Notebook who carried the day for the trainer.

On several fronts this was a remarkable success for this remarkable mare who came here off a sequence that had seen her win five of her previous six starts. Her last outing came when she landed a Grade 2 over this course and distance in November but even still she was allowed to go off at 16/1 as she became the first mare since Anaglogs Daughter in 1980 to win the Arkle.

That feat in itself is worth more than a passing mention. However even more significant is that Put The Kettle On has climbed to the pinnacle of two-mile novice chasing 10 months after win her first outing over fences in a beginners’ chase for horses rated 116 or less over hurdles at Kilbeggan.

In the race itself the Dermody family’s One For Luck Racing Syndicate-owned Put The Kettle On was never worse than second and moved into the outright lead after three out. Crucially she produced a much better jump at the second last fence than the chasing Fakir D’Oudairies and this enabled her to maintain a clear advantage to the line to score by a length and a half.

There was a gap of 18 lengths back to the outclassed home team who were headed by Rouge Vif. For Notebook there was to be no Grade 1 hat-trick. The favourite surely wasn’t helped by the false start that preceded this race and he just never seemed to find the sort of rhythm that he did on his previous starts. He finished sixth in a race where just six of the 11 runners completed.

“Aidan rode her brilliantly and said she attacked every fence, and she had the course and distance form. Notebook was our more fancied runner, but this mare keeps improving,” said the trainer.

“She had been busy all last summer and then topped it off with victory here in November, so we said we would back off her and then come here. We thought about the novice handicap chase at the end of today over two and a half miles, but felt two miles would suit and opted for this race.

“Notebook was disappointing, and I just noticed that when Cash Back dropped out we dropped out too. It crossed my mind that they had a tough race together in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown,” he concluded.

An elated Coleman reflected afterwards: “I was having some craic the whole way around and I’d have been sick if I was beaten.

“Her jumping is just brilliant and she is a very good mare. I have to say I think I would have been a most unlucky loser.”