29/08/2025
Wotsit’s in good company! 🏆
ENTRIES REVEALED FOR INAUGURAL ARC RACEHORSE TO EVENTER CHALLENGE CUP AT CORNBURY HOUSE HORSE TRIALS
Former racehorses who started their careers in the hands of some of the best-known trainers in Britain and Ireland are among the entries for the inaugural £50,000 Arena Racing Company (ARC) Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup at Cornbury House Horse Trials (10-14 September) in Oxfordshire, a new class, designed to promote and showcase the suitability of ex-racehorses.
All 49 entries will be determined to capture the unprecedented first prize of £45,000.
Piggy March will be riding Jayne McGivern's Our Old Fella, who ran once on the Flat when trained by Mark Loughane, while Mike Jackson while be riding Bhodi; Jayne also owned this Dark Angel son, who ran 10 times on the Flat for Sir Michael Stoute and then Kevin Frost, when he was in training and later sold him to current owner Emily Oppenheimer for eventing.
Bubby Upton is riding Enhanced, bred and owned by Jeff and Phoebe Hobby of Brightwalton Bloodstock. He ran for Hughie Morrison on the Flat before being retrained by Phoebe and her son Henry. This new combination won on their most recent start at Frickley Park.
Among the favourites to win the £45,000 first prize will be local Oxfordshire rider Izzy Taylor, who has had excellent form at CCI3* level this season on Bayaanaat. The nine-year-old ran on the Flat before switching to Oliver Sherwood to go hurdling, and started eventing with Izzy in 2022.
William Fox-Pitt, whose career highlights include a record six Burghley victories, has Hussard Brun, who ran in National Hunt bumpers for Richard Hobson, entered, while nine-times CCI5* winner Oliver Townend will be aboard former point-to-pointer Brookfield Carnivan.
One of the entries with the most success on the racetrack is Soupy Soups, who earned £90,702 during his racing career while in training with Neil Mulholland. The 14-year-old Stowaway gelding ran 40 times and has since gone on to thrive in his second career as an event horse with Francesca Bishop.
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