Handicap weights for the £75,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeplechase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival were released today, completing another piece of the Crystal Cup jigsaw for this ninth leg, in which a strong French or Irish challenge could have a significant impact upon the leaderboard. The 31 entries must also whittle down to a maximum field of 16.

Short-priced favourite Stumptown heads the weights off a top weight of 11st 10 (74.5kg) on the back of his winning performance in the corresponding Crystal Cup leg at Cheltenham back in December, and trainer Gavin Cromwell has a superb record at Cheltenham. He had stablemate Vanillier well beaten on that occasion and a previous run over Punchestown’s banks, and there is little reason to suppose form will be reversed. Vanillier is one of several headed for the Grand National in this field. Winning or placed runs for both would put Cromwell in a challenger position in the Crystal Cup leaderboard.

Second favourite is Galvin, part of a strong Gordon Elliott team for the Festival at large, and owned by potato magnate Ronnie Bartlett. Galvin hasn’t been seen since just losing out by a neck to Snap Decision on an enterprising trip to Far Hills in the US back in October. However, his 8 1/2l fourth in last April’s Grand National proves this trip will not worry him, and he has plenty of experience of these obstacles from two runs in last season’s Cheltenham cross country chases. On the basis of his National form, he has the measure of other candidates Roi Mage, Coko Beach, Latenightpass, Vanillier and Chemical Energy.

The cross country genre is not a regular haunt for Nicky Henderson, but Mister Coffey has shaped well in two runs over these fences this season, finishing second on both occasions, the latest in December when failing by a length to Stumptown when in receipt of 9lbs. With the weights favouring him  by a further 6lbs now, this may be an excellent opportunity to lose his maiden status over fences.

Busselton makes little appeal, whilst Latenightpass has struggled to recapture the form that won him two autumn handicaps over course and distance in 2023. He is well in against Stumptown on the form of his 4 1/4l third in December if he can run to his top rating.

Three French runners remain among the entries, all trained by David Cottin, who has experience of winning at Cheltenham as a trainer and rider. A plan to test Iceo Madrik over this course in December backfired when rider Felix de Giles was unseated early, but the 7  year old is already a winner of a listed cross country at Compiegne in November, leg 6 of the Crystal Cup. His 16/1 price belies his chances.

Cottin has left Placenet entered, but even off a long handicap weight of 9st 11, he has ground to make up. Assuming the top weight stays in, he will be running at 10st 5, 8lb out of the handicap. the same is also the case for Motu Fareone. A strong showing from Cottin runners would put him in a strong challenging position for Crystal Cup honours with two French races still to come before the Challenge concludes.

Roi Mage, a French-bred trained by Patrick Griffin in Ireland, is one of this select few to have been campaigned almost exclusively on the continent. Although behind Iceo Madrik at Compiegne, he was a comprehensive winner at Craon back in September, and looks value at 25/1. He is likely to swerve a return to Aintree in favour of the Irish Grand National. He should run well here under James Reveley.

The Elliott challenge includes a further 5, the best of which are the Gigginstown pair of Coko Beach and Conflated, who will share top weight with Stumptown. Delta Work won this off 11st 10 as a conditions event last time around, but giving weight all round may be a tall ask for Conflated. Coko Beach’s distant second to Vanillier over the Punchestown banks in early Febraury still leaves him something to find but he may be the best chance for Gigginstown to continue their outstanding success in this race.

Amongst the rest, Iwilldoit may be the springer. His 3l third to Val Dancer in the Welsh National in December was a solid run, and trainer Sam Thomas has become adept at correctly placing his horses in big handicaps.

The next scratching is on March 6th, which will see the field reduce to something nearer is final make-up, together with a majority of jockey bookings.