Arch Rebel completes a great day for Meade

ON a day he’ll never forget, champion National Hunt trainer Noel Meade saddled Arch Rebel to win the Grade 1 Durkan New Homes Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday.

Just ten minutes before Harchibald, under an ice-cool Paul Carberry, won the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, Arch Rebel, the 7/2 favourite, benefited from a confident ride by Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden to beat Don’t Be Bitin’ by five lengths, the pair finishing a distance clear of third-placed Stromstad.

“He could be the real deal,” declared Meade, after recovering from the exhileration of watching Harchibald’s win on the big screen in the parade-ring, “He was only gelded in early in November and it’s not long since we decided to send him hurdling.”