July Flower in full bloom for De Bromhead at Cheltenham

July Flower remained unbeaten over fences when putting in some spectacular leaps in landing the Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

The Grade Two contest was almost a duel throughout between the eventual winner and Dan Skelton’s Be Aware, but July Flower’s proven stamina and 7lb mares’ allowance proved crucial up the hill.

With Champion Hurdle second Burdett Road unable to land a glove on the front two, it showed the pace they were going throughout and both horses look like taking much higher rank over fences than they did over hurdles.

July Flower’s trainer Henry de Bromhead won the race in 2019 with another mare, Put The Kettle On, and she went on to win the Arkle itself in March.

With July Flower (6-5 favourite) having already won over two miles and three furlongs, it remains to be seen which route connections take, but she did not look short of speed, taking up the running from Be Aware approaching the last.

Darragh O’Keeffe kept her up to her work for a one-and-a-half-length win and she is 20-1 for the Arkle with Coral and Ladbrokes while Paddy Power make her a 7-1 chance 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 and Put The Kettle On, De Bromhead 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 major victory at Prestbury Park for July Flower’s pilot O’Keeffe, who has risen superbly to the challenge of replacing Rachael Blackmore as the Knockeen handler’s number one.

“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.”