Sixteen stand their ground in a highly competitive Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeplechase on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, leg 9 of the Crystal Cup, in a race surely headed across to Ireland.

No less than 11 of the entries are trained in Ireland, six alone from Gordon Elliott, whose entries look to have crowded out any French challenge from David Cottin’s Iceo Madrik, currently second reserve.

Stumptown has been the over-the-winter favourite for this race since confirming his cross country credentials with a third consecutive win over these obstacles in December. As the highest-rated horse in the race, he is well capable of carrying top weight over this near 4 mile trip, and could put Gavin Cromwell into play in the Crystal Cup leaderboard, where he currently sits in fifth place.

However, this is no pushover. Galvin is one of the Elliott six, and has enjoyed a light campaign to date, venturing to Far Hills in the US to be beaten a neck in a valuable hurdle race back in October. He comes here fresh, is a known stayer with experience of this genre of obstacle, and meets many of these on better terms than the weight for age scale of 2024. As Elliott’s number one rider, Jack Kennedy takes the ride, a welcome return to the Festival after his broken leg.

The betting suggests that Busseltown and Mister Coffey rank next, yet Busseltown is well held by Stumptown on his December showing, and has not been troubling the judge in his races this campaign. Mister Coffey by contrast appears the perpetual bridesmaid, second in each of the November and December cross country handicaps here at Cheltenham, and still to break his maiden tag after 15 steeplechase starts. Impeccably bred, there is a sneaking doubt that he lacks the finish to cement a Festival win for owners Alice & Lady Bamford, of JCB fame.

Gavin Cromwell’s second string, Vanillier, together with Latenightpass – twice a winner over this course and distance, and Coko Beach, another following the Crystal Cup route, are all entered in the Grand National in three weeks’ time. Coko Beach is held by Vanillier on recent Punchestown form, whilst Vanillier was well beaten by his stable companion back here in December.

The Elliot sextet is completed by outsiders The Goffer – well beaten by Vanillier at Punchestown in February; Chemical Energy – down the field in the same Punchestown banks race and well beaten by Stumptown here in December; Gevrey, another also-ran in the Punchestown race; and Minella Crooner, whose appetite for the game seems to have waned since a hard-fought victory in a listed handicap chase at last year’s Punchestown Festival.

Among the other outsiders, two make more appeal. Iwilldoit, trained by Sam Thomas, has been running in the best company this winter, losing out narrowly in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January, and finishing a 3l third in the Welsh National at Chepstow over Christmas. Dylan Johnston claims 3lb to bring his 11st 3 down to 11st.

Roi Mage looks set to burnish the credentials of the Crystal Cup route to Festival success. Largely run in continental cross country events, the French-bred won handsomely at Craon back in September, but was subsequently behind second reserve Iceo Madrik in a listed cross country at Compiegne in November. Iceo Madrik has failed to catch the notice of the British handicapper, his only run this term resulting in an early exit, so understandably, the handicapper has based his rating on previous unspectacular British form, not his more recent winning French equivalent. Roi Mage’s form is understated in his price; he certainly merits an each-way chance.

Of the two remaining, Escaria Ten has some credentials based on his 4 3/4l fourth to Stumptown here in December when in receipt of a stone. He is 5lb better in here, but still running from outside the handicap.

Chambard makes up the numbers for Venetia Williams but it’s difficult to make any sort of case for the thirteen year old, a onetime winner of the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir here.