Arcalis is a British Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 racehorse

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

, best known for his win in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle

Supreme Novices' Hurdle

The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 110 yards , and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped...

 at the 2005 Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...

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Background

Arcalis was sired by Lear Fan out of the mare Aristocratique, from whom he inherited his grey coat . He is owned by Andrea and Graham Wylie and is trained by Howard Johnson. Throughout his time as a racehorse, his predominant jockeys have been Denis O'Regan

Denis O'Regan

Denis O'Regan is a renowned English rock photographer. His imagery is particularly associated with the punk movement, Queen, David Bowie, and Duran Duran, and O'Regan has photographed everyone from AC/DC to ZZ Top, documenting Punk, New Romanticism, Grunge, and Heavy Metal along the way...

 and Paddy Brennan

Paddy Brennan (jockey)

Paddy Brennan, is an Irish jockey who rode the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010.A native of Ardrahan, County Galway, Brennan was a keen GAA player with dreams of becoming a county hurler. He only became involved in horseracing after a neighbour noticed his talent with hunt horses...

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Arcalis was purchased in 2004 by Howard Johnson for owner Graham Wylie.

Racing Career

He started racing as a two year old in August 2002 when he was entered into the Cornmill Hotel Maiden Stakes, a Class D race. In that race, Arcalis finished fifth out of 11 entries. His first win came in October 2002 when he won the Annual Members Nursery, a Class E race in which he beat out 20 other entries for the victory.

His first win in a Grade 1 race came in March 2005 when he won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle

Supreme Novices' Hurdle

The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 110 yards , and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped...

 at Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing events, located at Prestbury Park, in the suburban village of Prestbury on the outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...

, located on the outskirts of Cheltenham

Cheltenham

Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...

, Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....

. Entering the race as a 20-1 longshot, he again bested a field of 20 horses, defeating Wild Passion by 10 lengths

Length (horse racing)

A horse length, or simply length, is a unit of measurement that refers to the length of a horse from nose to tail, approximately 8 feet, It is commonly used in Thoroughbred horse racing, where it describes the distance between horses in a race...

. After his big win, owner Graham Wylie said of his prized horse: He is a good horse and I never lost faith in him. The ground wasn't right last time and he wasn't right either. There were certain horses in the yard that weren't right, and he was amongst them.

Running in his first race since his win in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Arcalis went on to win the 2005 Fighting Fifth Hurdle

Fighting Fifth Hurdle

The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped...

 at Newcastle Racecourse

Newcastle Racecourse

Newcastle Racecourse is a horse racing course located at Gosforth Park near Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It stages both flat and National Hunt racing, with its biggest meeting being the Northumberland Plate held annually in June.-History:...

 in Gosforth Park

Gosforth Park

Gosforth Park is a park north of Gosforth in the borough of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It houses Newcastle Racecourse, a Marriott hotel, two golf courses, a garden centre and a football centre....

 near Newcastle

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. He entered the race as a 9-4 favorite and went on to beat Royal Shakespeare by five lengths. Tony Dobbin

Tony Dobbin

Tony Dobbin is a retired Northern Irish National Hunt jockey who rode mainly in Great Britain. He rode the winner of the Grand National on Lord Gyllene in 1997 and won over 1,200 races during his career in the saddle. He was the regular stable jockey for Nicky Richards...

, Acarlis’ jockey for the race said of his winning horse: He's a very high-class horse and traveled really well, quickened up and pricked his ears over the last. He's very good.

In April 2007 at Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher

Esher

Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....

, Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, Arcalis won the Betfredcasino Hurdle in a deadheat against Penzance. However, the win was costly, as Arcalis was injured and it was serious enough to put him out for the entire 2007-2008 racing season. He did not race again until the 2008 Fighting Fifth Hurdle where he finished in last place. Arcalis has yet to win a race since suffering the injury.

As of May 2010, Arcalis has amassed a career record of 11 wins, 3 places and 2 shows while accumulating £345,849 in lifetime earnings in 43 career starts.