Plenty of pluses for Realt Dubh in the Arkle

Realt Dubh will be aiming to exorcise a painful ghost in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham for Noel Meade.

Back in 1998 Meade's Hill Society appeared to have got up on the line to deny Martin Pipe's Champleve, but the photo finish showed something different.

While Meade accepts that no Festival race is ever easy, he is the first to admit that dual Grade One winner Realt Dubh has much stronger claims on paper than Hill Society did all those years ago.

"You'd have to say he's done more than Hill Society had at the same stage, he's certainly more of a chaser than Hill Society was. He's won two Grade Ones and a Grade Two this year and Hill Society had done nothing like that," said Meade on At The Races.

"He's a very good moving horse and I don't think he'll mind a bit of good ground, it shouldn't be a problem.

"I've been going to Cheltenham for a long time now and I've never seen an easy race there. I don't listen to those saying it doesn't look the strongest renewal."

Realt Dubh is a stand-out 9-1 with William Hill for the Arkle.