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Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
Race Conditions
The Cross Country Chase (4:00pm) was the first of the new races to be added to the programme to create the new four day Festival. It is run over three miles and seven furlongs of the ever popular Cross Country Course. It is open to horses aged five years old and upwards and has a total prize fund of £50,000.
For a free £25 Cross Country Chase bet click here.
Recent Winners
The inaugural Cross Country Chase was won by one of the most popular equine stars of the sport - cross country specialist Spot Thedifference, who was retired at the age of 14 after a glittering career. The JP McManus-owned gelding won seven times at Cheltenham in cross-country races, and also won Punchestown's La Touche Cup twice, the first of them in 2003.
Enda Bolger is invariably the man to follow in races of this type and he has trained the winner of this event four times in five years, all for JP McManus with the last three being ridden by Nina Carberry.
| Year | Horse | Age | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Garde Champetre | 10 | E Bolger | 7/2 |
| 2008 | Garde Champetre | 9 | E Bolger | 4/1 |
| 2007 | Heads Onthe Ground | 10 | E Bolger | 5/2F |
| 2006 | Native Jack | 12 | P Rothwell | 7/2JF |
| 2005 | Spot Thedifference | 12 | E Bolger | 4/1 |
Course
The cross country course takes racing at Cheltenham back to its roots with a selection of natural and man made obstacles incorporating banks, ditches, hedges, water and timber rails.
Designed by Mike Etherington-Smith, who was responsible for the 3-Day Event cross country course at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the configuration of the course deliberately weaves around the centre of Prestbury Park, with turns to the left and right leading competitors on a variety of routes and directions.
One of the main differences between the Cross Country Course and the steeplechase courses at Cheltenham is the materials used to build the fences. Chase fences are constructed from 'dead' materials whereas the fences on the Cross Country Course are living, growing trees, shrubs and bushes, which are regularly trimmed for racing.
Key Trends
All 5 winners were well fancied and in the first two in the betting.
Nina Carberry has won the last three renewals.
Irish trained horses have won all five renewals - four were trained by Enda Bolger.
In fact Edna Bolger has trained the winner of 14 of the 30 cross country races run at Cheltenham.
Horses aged younger than 8 are 1-72 in cross country races at Cheltenham.
2010 Cross Country Chase Preview
Surely the easiest race on the Festival menu to predict - just back anything trained by Enda Bolger!
That formula is likely to bear fruit again this season as his horses dominate the market again, and Garde Champetre and L’Ami, who fought out last season’s finish, could easily do so again this time around.
Both horses have had similar preps this season.
Incredibly, Garde Champetre won the cross country races staged here at both the November and December meetings, and the handicapper just doesn’t seem to be able to catch up with him. He has since had a nice spin over hurdles to put him spot on for this.
L’Ami won over Punchestown’s banks in November and also ran creditably over hurdles last time out. He’s twice finished behind his stablemate at Cheltenham, but was beaten a combined total of only three lengths on those occasions and so he does have a chance of turning the tables.
Bolger also trains Drombeag, Freneys Well and Heads On the Ground, but all three have been beaten on many occasions by their more illustrious stablemates and it is hard to see them reversing those defeats here. Freneys Well is probably best of the three.
Sizing Australia is relatively new to these races and so could be open to some improvement. He ran well when placed behind Garde Champetre at the track in both November and December. A further swing in the weights could see him threaten the Enda Bolger dominance. Worryingly, though, he is yet to win over fences.
Like the Festival Bumper, British trainers seem to be unable to break the Irish stranglehold on this race, but Phillip Hobbs is at least prepared to give it a try and has a few interesting entries.
The evergreen Monkerhostin is a class act, but there must be a worry as to how he’ll adapt to these fences as he hated his try over the National fences. Whilst Lacdoudal has also landed some big races in his time, but has been out of form for a while. Maybe this unique challenge will spark him back into life.
Out The Black has been in better form recently, including a third in the Scottish National at Ayr at the backend of last season, but like so many of these there is no telling how he’ll adapt to this course.
Not surprisingly, therefore, previous form over a cross country course is extremely valuable and as well as the races here in November and December, one further contest to consider is the Glenfarclas P.P.Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase that was run at Punchestown at the end of January.
It was won in some style by Another Jewel, who finished nicely clear of former National winner Silver Birch and Lord Nellerie.
Given the manner of Another Jewel’s win that day the handicapper is sure to have his say, but the horse is only eight and so is open to more improvement than most of his rivals, many of whom are reaching the veteran stage.
CONCLUSION: Enda Bolger’s dominance has to end one day, if for no other reason than the law of averages! However, it would be a brave man who would back against him this year.
The phrase “horses for courses” was never more apt and so the selection has to be GARDE CHAMPETRE, who is going for a third straight win in this race and a sixth course success. For those looking for a shock, Another Jewel and Lacdoudal are worth considering.
Click here for the latest Cross Country Chase odds
2009 Cross Country Chase Review
Even by his own remarkable standards in this race, this was an incredible training performance from Edna Bolger as he saddled the first three home from his four runners. It was also a 1-2-3 for owner JP McManus, with GARDE CHAMPETRE gaining back to back victory in this unique Festival contest.
It was a fine performance from the ten year old, who was giving the runner up, and market leader, L’Ami four pounds.
The two of them had the race between them turning for home and it was L’Ami who led entering the straight. But Nina Carberry, who has almost as good a record in these contests as her owner and trainer, was travelling fractionally better and he forged clear after taking it up shortly after jumping the last. There is no reason why Garde Champetre can’t make it an historic hat-trick next year.
The runner up lost nothing in defeat, as he was well clear of the third, but he was outstayed by the winner. Both may now head to the National.
Drombeag, who finished third, won the Foxhunters here in 2007 and this was his best effort since then. However, he simply couldn’t go with the front two as they kicked for home off the final bend.
A News Story plugged on gamely to claim fourth, one position worse than he managed in this contest last year, whilst Dix Villez, who controversially won the race over these obstacles at the November meeting, could never land a blow and finished fifth.
Wonderkid (seventh) ran well on ground that didn’t suit. He could be of interest next year on genuinely decent going.
Garde Champetre (right) heads L'ami in the 2009 Cross Country Chase
2008 Cross Country Chase Review
Despite the absence of the legendary Spot Thedifference, this unique race fell once more to an Enda Bolger raider, this time in the shape of the previously frustrating GARDE CHAMPETRE.
These unique obstacles appear to have rekindled the enthusiasm of a horse who was originally purchased by JP McManus back in 2004 for the vast sum of 530,000gns.
In winning here, Garde Champetre was providing Ireland with their fourth straight winner in this race and on his previous start he had won the BGC P.P. Hogan Memorial Chase at Punchestown, a race the last two winners of this contest had also won en route to the Festival.
He powered clear under Nina Carberry as the field returned to the racecourse proper and his class told in the end. He is likely to prove hard to beat in this type of race in the future as he had plenty in hand at the finish.
The 2006 winner, Native Jack, who is now fourteen, ran a season’s best to finish second, albeit a long way behind the impressive winner. However, neither he, nor the eventual third, A New Story, were able to keep tabs on the winner.
Stablemate of Garde Champetre, Freneys Well, was fourth having led over the second last. A firmer surface would have suited him better and, unlike many of his rivals, he has time on his side.
There was a long gap back to Royal Auclair, who was the first British trained runner to cross the line, whilst last year’s winner, Heads Onthe Ground, could make no impression when coming under pressure on the final circuit.
2007 Cross Country Chase Review
Incredibly, another victory in this race for Enda Bolger and JP McManus but not, this time, with Spot Thedifference, who relinquished his cross country crown to his younger stablemate HEADS ONTHE GROUND.
The winner was well backed before the off, and he and the runner up Silver Birch pulled well clear of the others on the run in to suggest this was a decent renewal of this unique race - the faster than usual early pace certainly ensured it was a greater test of stamina than is sometimes the case. Heads Onthe Ground idled on the run, otherwise the victory margin would have been greater, and he was given an excellent ride by Nina Carberry, who hugged the inside throughout and always had the leaders in her sights.
Those leaders included Silver Birch, who did well to get so close to the winner, given that he was in the firing line throughout. He was also hampered on the final bend, where he lost more ground than he was eventually beaten by. He may, therefore, have been an unlucky loser although Heads Onthe Ground looked like he’d pull out more if he’d been challenged on the run in.
Silver Birch was formerly a well backed ante post favourite for the 2005 Grand National, but he missed the race through injury and lost his form badly afterwards. He was then sold to race in Ireland and current connections have clearly got him back to his best. He could, therefore, still be well handicapped.
Le Duc was also up with the leaders throughout and had every chance until fading after the last. Ironically, the strong pace he helped to set ended up being his downfall as he just seemed to be outstayed by the first two. He may have done better on slightly quicker ground and is likely to try again next year.
Most race goers in the huge Festival crowd were hoping for a fairytale seventh win over these fences for Spot Thedifference. As is his custom, he was held up well off the pace, but he ruined his chance with a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes and could never quite reach the leaders. He stayed on well to the line, and this was by no means a bad effort as he was giving 24lbs to the winner and was racing off a mark 6lbs higher than his last win here. Despite his age, he is anything but a spent force in this type of race.
Omni Cosmo Touch also ran well on his first start over these obstacles, given the ground would have been plenty soft enough for him. It may just be that this sort of test suits this quirky customer and he could be interesting if brought back here at next year’s Festival.
The rest were well strung out, with last year’s winner Native Jack and Ivoire De Beaulieu both particularly disappointing.
2006 Cross Country Chase Review
As anticipated, horses with previous form over the unique demands of a cross country style course dominated the finish of this race.
NATIVE JACK came into the event in the form of his life, despite his rising years. He seems to have been rejuvenated by the challenge that these obstacles present, having won a similar contest at Punchestown on his previous start. His victory here gave both trainer Phillip Rothwell and jockey Davy Russell their first Festival successes.
The most popular winner would definitely have been the veteran, Spot Thedifference who was looking for his fifth course success. However, he hadn’t come into this race in particularly good form and so second place was another fine effort, especially considering that the slow early pace was probably against him.
Enda Bolger and JP McManus love to have a tilt at these races and as well as Spot Thedifference in second place they had Buailtes And Fadas in third and Good Step in sixth. The former was given a very patient ride and could never quite peg the leaders back, whereas the latter ruined his chance with a bad blunder three out.
Koliquelicot finished between them in fifth and was best of the home contingent. He seemed to enjoy himself out in front and remained in contention until his stamina gave way approaching the last.
Surprisingly, there were only two casualties with both I Hear Thunder and What Odds unseating their riders. Thankfully both horses continued unharmed.