Gavin Cromwell showed a mastery of the cross country genre when fielding three of the first four in yesterday’s ninth leg of the Crystal Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, led by December leg winner, Final Orders.

The 10 year old, ridden by Conor Stone-Walsh, led from the sixth and was never headed thereafter, only harried two out by favourite Favori de Champdou, unable to concede 13lb to a rival one year his junior. It was a first Festival winner for 3lb claimer Stone-Walsh, whose two previous rides here filled the runner-up slot.

Final Orders and Conor Stone-Walsh celebrate Festival success © JCB Photo

Cromwell’s other runners, Vanillier, who was unlucky not to win 12 months ago, and Stumptown, hero of the Velka Pardubicka in October, filled the third and fourth positions. Stumptown, well fancied to repeat his success of 12 months previously, found the conditions a little too springy.

Hugues Crosnier presents the Crystal Cup to owners of Final Orders © JCB Photo

Gordon Elliott, who is fielding a strong team for this year’s Festival, has yet to hit the sweet spot, although this race has been a happy hunting ground for Gigginstown House Stud horses in the past. Favori de Champdou, successful in the replacement race here in January, was unable to concede nearly a stone and went down by 2 1/4l.

Among the rags, Latenightpass ran his usual race, in the vanguard from the fourth, but was left flat-footed two out and ran on into fifth, whilst Fakir d’Oudairies ran in snatches, and briefly went fourth before fading to a distant sixth.

By dint of running at Cheltenham, Cromwell has given himself an outside chance of reeling in long time leaderboard leader Josef Vana in the Crystal Cup standings. The addition of 26pts for his Cheltenham runners puts him firmly in second place, 16.5pts behind Vana, with races in Ireland and France to come. The destination of the leading owner is not in question, Scuderia Aichner having wrapped that up by November. But if Cromwell enjoys a good La Touche at Punchestown, he might be tempted to try his hand at the Anjou-Loire Challenge and snatch the prize.

All still to play for then as the Crystal Cup reaches its climax.

See the full result here