Cross Country Chase Tips & Predictions
The Cross Country can be a bit polarising, but it offers a nice change of pace for those who are fans of the extended 3m5f contest.
Dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll has won the race three times and, more recently, stablemate Delta Work won it for the second time in 2023.
We’ve got 16 runners to consider this year and course specialist Stumptown heads the field. Gordon Elliott will be attempting to win the race for the sixth time since 2017, and he has assembled a squad of six.
Two of our strongest fancies are at the front of the market, but we’ve also got one to watch at a massive price.
NAP: Galvin @ 7/2
One for Gordon Elliott, it wasn’t that long ago in the grand scheme of things that Galvin was competing in Grade 1 races and considered to be a leading Gold Cup horse.
The 11-year-old is already a Cheltenham Festival winner and, as he won the National Hunt Chase here as a novice, we know that stamina won’t be an issue.
Connections will be hoping the ground doesn’t go too soft as better ground is important to him, although he ran a stormer to finish fourth in the Grand National on soft ground in April.
He has had plenty of experience over these fences and even finished second to Delta Work in 2023 when this race wasn’t a handicap.
Galvin was a neck away from winning the Grand National Hurdle Stakes in the US back in October and should find this mile or so longer trip more to his liking.
Winner of the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown back in December 2021, he has run well over course and distance off higher marks several times and should be capable of making his presence felt.
NB: Stumptown @ 9/4
Speaking of course and distance form, it’s hard to knock Stumptown after he got the better of Mister Coffey in one of these races back in December.
Clearly this style of racing suits Gavin Cromwell’s eight-year-old as he also won two cross country races at Punchestown before that.
We know he’s going to get up the hill just fine and that’s always one of the biggest question marks about any horse running at Cheltenham.
A mark of 157 certainly isn’t a freebie, but Cromwell always prepares his horses well for Cheltenham, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if there was a little room to manoeuvre from a handicap perspective.
This horse deserves his place at the head of the market, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario where he doesn’t make the frame at the very least.
Also consider: Chambard @ 66/1
The third previous Cheltenham Festival winner to make the list is 13-year-old veteran Chambard, who stormed to success at a big price in the 2021 Kim Muir.
Whilst not having previous experience of the track is a slight negative, the cross country course could reinvigorate Venetia Williams’ gelding, who has also won over the National fences.
Lucy Turner gets a good tune out of him and was on board for both his Cheltenham and Aintree successes.
The pair’s good relationship could prove particularly useful, as will Turner’s 5lb claim, while Williams’ runner is available at an absolutely massive price.
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Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation