Cheltenham Festival: Put The Kettle On lands Arkle under Aidan Coleman
Tuesday 10 March 2020 14:47, UK
Put The Kettle On held off the challenge of Fakir D'Oudairies to win the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Henry de Bromhead trained Arkle favourite Notebook but it was his other runner, sent off as a 16/1 outsider, who proved strongest in a driving finish with Fakir D'Oudairies.
The winner was one of only two mares taking part in the race.
The runner-up did himself no favours by walking through the second fence from the finish - and while he tried his very best to bridge the gap racing up the hill, Put The Kettle On refused to bend and passed the post a length and a half to the good.
Rouge Vif ran a fine race in third, with the winner's stablemate Notebook - the 5-2 favourite on the strength of successive Grade One wins at Leopardstown - ultimately disappointing.
The winning jockey said: "All the way I absolutely was having some craic - then turning in, I was going to be sick if I got beaten.
"She's a good mare - I turned off the bend and gave her a kick down to the second last and she absolutely lifted into the middle of it and I thought 'brilliant, we're away now'.
"Then I was just praying. If she'd have got beat she'd have been very unlucky, but she's a very good mare.
"It's her jumping - it is a joy to behold. She's just brilliant."
