The Next Arkle

The Next Arkle explores Ireland’s passionate love affair with Cheltenham through the gripping story of Carvill’s Hill, a brilliant but flawed racehorse, and his notorious owner, Liam Marks. It is the story of a dramatic, spectacular but ultimately heartbreaking quest for glory with a nation's hopes and dreams pinned on a giant horse. The Next Arkle explores Ireland’s passionate love affair with Cheltenham through the astonishing story of Carvill’s Hill, a brilliant but flawed racehorse, and his notorious owner, Liam ‘Billy’ Marks. Marks, a professional gambler and major figure in Ireland’s corrupt 1980s beef trade. Marks, who likened himself to the slick lawyer, 'Razzle Dazzle' Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago, had a turbulent career punctuated by a kidnapping, threats of violence, innumerable court cases and accusations ranging from fraud and corruption to IRA-linked money laundering. Through all this chaos, he clung to one conviction: that one day the giant Carvill’s Hill would win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. A generation of Irish race-goers, longing for a new champion in an era of English dominance, shared that dream. What followed was dramatic, spectacular but ultimately heartbreaking. This gripping true-life story feels like a Hollywood film!