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13:20Supreme Novices' Hurdle
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15:20Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
16:00Champion Chase
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17:20Champion Bumper
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
15:20 Cheltenham Festival
2026-03-11
Winner: £39,022.5
Runners: 14
Going: Good To Soft
No. of hurdles: 31
Distance:
The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, run over 3m6f on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, is a one-of-a-kind race at the festival as the runners face a series of unique fences and obstacles on the cross-country course before rejoining the main track for the stamina-sapping closing stages. The Cross Country Chase has been a conditions race since 2016 but will revert back to its handicap status for 2025 after becoming increasingly uncompetitive in recent years. However, in a bid to attract top level chasers the weight range will now be 20lb.
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12(0)
20-779
Latenightpass
-
J: Miss Gina Andrews
T: T Ellis
13
10-5
135
165
Won over C&D (soft) in 2023 and a commendable second to Stumptown in this race last year (good to soft) but safely held in C&D races won by Final Orders and Favori De Champdou on his last two appearances and is getting long in the tooth now; 8lb out of the weights.
5(0)
08P-43
Conflated
-
J: Danny Gilligan
T: Gordon Elliott
12
10-7
145
170
Top class over regulation fences in his prime (dual 3m Grade 1 winner) but has regressed and become inconsistent; gave a pretty good account when placed behind Vanillier on Bank course at Punchestown (3m1f, soft to heavy; refitted cheekpieces/first-time tongue-tie) last month but was well beaten on his only C&D start (in 2024); younger rivals appeal much more.
7(0)
/740-4
Fakir d'Oudairies
-
J: Darragh O'Keeffe
T: E Bolger
11
10-7
145
168
Four-time Grade 1 chase winner (2m4f-2m5f) for Joseph O'Brien but left that stable after a disappointing cross-country debut over C&D in December 2024; returned to racing under rules with respectable fourth behind Vanillier on Bank course at Punchestown (3m1f, soft to heavy) last month but a much bigger performance will be needed here.
2(0)
-05F11
Favori De Champdou
-
J: Jack Kennedy
T: Gordon Elliott
11
11-5
157
173
Fell mid-race here on cross-country debut in December but quickly bounced back when causing 66-1 shock in valuable handicap over regulation fences at Leopardstown's Christmas festival (3m, yielding) before winning comfortably by just over 8l returned to this C&D (soft) in January; still unexposed in this discipline; strong contender.
4(0)
0-U631
Vanillier
-
J: Sean Flanagan
T: Gavin Cromwell
11
10-7
145
171
Thorough stayer who came second in the 2023 Grand National; not very consistent nowadays but did very well to finish third behind Stumptown in this race last year (good to soft), having lost ground when nearly taking the wrong course in early stages, and returns here after a win on Bank course at Punchestown (3m1f, soft to heavy) last month.
3(0)
3P6315
Final Orders
-
J: Conor Stone-Walsh
T: Gavin Cromwell
10
10-9
147
171
High-mileage 10yo who took very well to this C&D (good) in December, winning quite comfortably by just over 4l; weakened into fifth in soft-ground C&D contest won by Favori De Champdou in January but ran well for a long way and ought to be better suited by the less testing conditions today; each-way claims at least.
6(0)
32569F
Pied Piper
-
J: Sam Ewing
T: Gordon Elliott
8
10-7
145
168
Gained all three chase wins in small-field novice events last April-June; not beaten far when ninth of 28 in valuable Leopardstown handicap won by Favori De Champdou over Christmas (3m, yielding; wore usual cheekpieces) and seemed to be running well when falling at third-last fence in the Thyestes at Gowran (3m1f, heavy; blinkered) in January; has stamina to prove on cross-country debut but not ruled out; cheekpieces back on today.
9(0)
0P-21P
Desertmore House
-
J: Ricky Doyle
T: Martin Brassil
11
10-5
140
168
Untested on this track but close second in La Touche Cup on cross-country debut at Punchestown (4m1f, good to yielding) last May and looked in very good nick when beating The Goffer and Final Orders to win over 3m on that Bank course (soft to heavy) in November; pulled up over hurdles the following month and 3lb out of the weights today but still considered.
8(0)
28-P7P
Velvet Elvis
-
J: Gavin Sheehan
T: John C McConnell
10
10-5
142
166
Peak form includes a clear second to subsequent Grand National winner Nick Rockett in Thyestes Chase at Gowran (3m1f, soft to heavy) for Gavin Cromwell in January 2025; well handicapped on that effort (even though 1lb wrong) but has looked out of sorts since (four runs; last three for this stable) and it takes a leap of faith to support him on this cross-country debut; wore cheekpieces for four of last five races; visor is tried today.
14(0)
6P-770
Famous Bridge
-
J: Sean Quinlan
T: Nicky Richards
10
10-5
132
162
Very useful handicapper over regulation fences on his day and a very respectable sixth in last year's Ultima (3m1f, good to soft) at this meeting; won't fail through lack of stamina but has been out of form this season and makes cross-country debut from 11lb out of the handicap.
13(0)
-50272
The Goffer
-
J: Josh Williamson
T: Gordon Elliott
9
10-5
135
165
Has made the frame at two Cheltenham Festivals, more recently when staying on from long way off the pace to take fourth behind Stumptown in this race in 2025 (good to soft); returns here after a pretty good second to Vanillier on Bank course at Punchestown (3m1f, soft to heavy) but, from out of the weights, is effectively 5lb higher than last year; sports first-time cheekpieces.
11(0)
65P-8P
Minella Crooner
-
J: James Best
T: Sarah Humphrey
10
10-5
137
155
Very useful at his best for Gordon Elliott but was pulled up in this race last year and changed hands after a heavy defeat over regulation fences at Punchestown festival; struggled when dropped back to 2m4f for last month's stable debut; 6lb wrong here and has too much to prove.
1(0)
111P-1
Stumptown
-
J: Keith Donoghue
T: Gavin Cromwell
9
11-10
162
171
Dual C&D winner last season, latterly when beating Latenightpass by 7l in this race (good to soft; first-time cheekpieces); seen only once this term, landing prestigious Velka Pardubicka cross-country chase in Czech Republic (4m2f, good; back in cheekpieces) in October, and has a lofty handicap mark to overcome but still commands respect; blinkers back on today.
10(0)
90-28P
Horantzau d'Airy
-
J: Charlie Hammond
T: Stuart Edmunds
9
10-5
139
166
Very useful handicap chaser for Willie Mullins in 2024 and placed for Michael Keady last spring (2m4f, good) but absent since pulled up for Sara Bradstock in September (bled from the nose); now with another new stable for cross-country debut; 4lb wrong; best to look elsewhere.
RACING POST TIP
Favori De Champdou
Last year's winner Stumptown has been given a good break since his heroics in the Czech Republic in October and is unlikely to go down without a fight. However, in the meantime FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU was in excellent form during the winter and he is taken to overcome an 8lb rise for his impressive C&D success in January. Final Orders, also a C&D winner this season, was probably not ideally suited by the soft ground when fifth behind the selection last time and can get closer to him today. Among the bigger-priced options, Pied Piper makes some appeal.
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CROSS COUNTRY CHASE PREVIOUS WINNERS
| Year | Horse | Previous Form | Age | Price | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2025 | Stumptown | 3U1-11 | 8 | 5/2F | Gavin Cromwell | Keith Donoghue |
| 2024 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2023 | Delta Work | -136 | 10 | 11-10F | Gordon Elliott | Keith Donoghue |
| 2022 | Delta Work | U3-466 | 9 | 5-2F | Gordon Elliott | Jack Kennedy |
| 2021 | Tiger Roll | 52-6PU6 | 11 | 9-2 | Denise Foster | Keith Donoghue |
| 2020 | Easysland | 1-1111 | 6 | 3-1 | David Cottin | Jonathan Plouganou |
| 2019 | Tiger Roll | 511-41 | 9 | 4-1F | Gordon Elliott | Davy Russell |
| 2018 | Tiger Roll | 1P-2P5 | 8 | 7-1 | Gordon Elliott | Keith Donoghue |
| 2017 | Cause Of Causes | P-5P05 | 9 | 4-1 | Gordon Elliott | Jamie Codd |
| 2016 | Josies Orders | 1-8119 | 8 | 15-8F | Enda Bolger | Nina Carberry |
| 2015 | Rivage D’Or | 4172F | 10 | 16-1 | Tony Martin | Davy Russell |
CROSS COUNTRY CHASE KEY TRENDS AND STATS
Key trends
- Won over at least 3m, 10/10
- At least 14 chase runs, 9/10
- Trained in Ireland, 8/10
- Top-three finish within last two completed starts, 9/10
- Won or placed in a cross country race at Cheltenham or Punchestown, 7/10
Other factors
- Eight of the last winners were owned by Gigginstown (five) or J P McManus (three).
- Only ten British-trained runners have made the first four, although in 2014 the home team had the first, second and fourth.
- Ireland has had the first four on three occasions and in 2009 had the first nine.
Check out all of our latest Cheltenham Free Bets ahead of placing your bets on the 2026 Cross Country Chase
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - CROSS COUNTRY CHASE 2025
Stumptown became the third winning favourite on the bounce in the Cross Country Chase. Gavin Cromwell’s eight-year-old arrived on the back of a handicap win over these fences in December and defied a 8lb rise for that success. He boosted Keith Donoghue’s top record in the race – he has now ridden five of the last seven winners.