Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
(Registered as The November)
Grade 2, Cheltenham 13:45
£75,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus,
1m 7f 199y, Class 1  
Saturday 15th November 2025

FormRatings

1 July Flower 6/5F
2 Be Aware 3/1
3 Burdett Road 9/2
6 ran Distances: 1½l, 10l, ¾l
Time: 4m 2.56s (slow by 10.56s)

July Flower kept her perfect record over fences intact with a display of bold, exuberant jumping to win a race that soon developed into a match between her and Dan Skelton’s Be Aware.

The pair were at each other from an early stage, but July Flower’s deeper reserves and that handy 7lb mares’ allowance came into sharp focus up the hill. Behind them, Champion Hurdle runner-up Burdett Road was never able to lay a glove on the front two, a testament to the relentless tempo they were setting — and a hint that both may scale loftier heights over fences than they ever did over hurdles.

Henry de Bromhead has been here before: he took this race in 2019 with Put The Kettle On, who famously went on to win the Arkle itself. July Flower, sent off the 6-5 favourite, has already proved her stamina over further, but she hardly lacked toe here, sweeping past Be Aware approaching the last before Darragh O’Keeffe nudged her out to a length-and-a-half success. She is 20-1 for the Arkle with Coral and Ladbrokes, while Paddy Power go 7-1 for the Mares’ Chase.

De Bromhead said: “I would hope she’s an Arkle horse and that is why we came here, to find out.

“The two-and-a-half (mile) novice Grade One is gone and we wouldn’t be going three miles, so it will probably be the Arkle.

“It’s funny as I didn’t actually think she was a two-miler until she won at Limerick – I always thought she was going to be two and a half to three, but the way she picked up there was incredible and she seemed great there.

“Leopardstown have put the race over two miles back on at Christmas so we can discuss it and see if we want to go there and it would look the obvious one.

“It’s probably no harm getting another run into her and I remember with Minella Indo we went for the three-miler after only two runs over fences, but I think over two miles you might just need that third run.

“We were actually in two minds about going over fences in the summer but the owners were happy to go and thankfully we did as she’s exciting.

“She was brilliant there and jumped great and we’ll enjoy today and it’s fantastic to be winning races like this, let alone back here in the spring.”

Asked to compare July Flower with Put The Kettle On, he added: “They are polar opposites. July Flower is the sweetest mare you could come across, whereas all Put The Kettle On wanted to do was eat you alive, they are so different but both have so much ability.”

It was also a significant Cheltenham success for O’Keeffe, who has stepped seamlessly into Rachael Blackmore’s role as de Bromhead’s first jockey.

“He’s got all the attributes Rachael had – the hunger, the want, the natural ability and knows how hard to work,” said De Bromhead.

“He’s no different to Rachael and we’re so lucky to have had him to step into her shoes.”

Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
£75,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 199y, Class 2
6 ran
Going: Soft, Heavy in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    July Flower 6 10-11 Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe 6/5F
2 1½ Be Aware 6 11-4 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 3/1
3 10 Burdett Road 5 11-4 James Owen Sam Twiston-Davies 9/2
4 ¾ Brentford Hope 8 11-4 Harry Derham Paul O'Brien 18/1
5 1¾ Stencil 4 10-10 Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm Harry Cobden 6/1
6 24 Breaking Cover 7 11-4 Anthony Honeyball Jonathan Burke 28/1

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