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Cheltenham Racecourse pays tribute to Arkle with new beer
Irish racehorse won Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in a row
Arkle was said to drink two bottles of Guinness each day
The horse whose legendary success was said to come from drinking two bottles of Guinness each day now has his own beer brewed in his honor.
Cheltenham Racecourse has teamed up with UK brewer Arkell’s to pay tribute to one of the track’s most accomplished horses, Arkle, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in a row from 1964 to 1966.
Arkell’s Arkle Ale, a golden auburn ale which is smooth with a well-rounded finish, will be on sale in the Arkle Bar at the course for its first meeting of the season, The Showcase, Friday and Saturday.
The success of Arkle, who also won the King George VI Chase, the Irish Grand National and two Hennessy Gold Cups, was once jokingly said to be down to his fancy for Guinness – his daily diet was apparently made up of oats, mashed together with six eggs and two bottles of Guinness.
“We’re thrilled to be able to celebrate our “almost” namesake by teaming up with Cheltenham Racecourse this year,” Arkell’s Brewery’s John Arkell said in a statement. “We’re off to a flying start by supplying the Arkle Bar and brewing a fantastic new beer.”
Arkle, who is widely recognized as the greatest steeplechaser in the post-war era, already has a statue at Cheltenham in his honor, as well as a race dedicated to him at the Cheltenham Festival – the Arkle Challenge Trophy.
The Irish racehorse, born in 1957 and named after a Scottish mountain, retired in 1968 after suffering a career-ending injury at Kempton, before advancing arthritis led to him being put down in 1970.
Arkle is not the only racehorse to have enjoyed a drop of Guinness – American thoroughbreds Zenyatta and Tapit are both also said to have taken a liking to the black stuff.
