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The Crystal Cup leaderboard has a new challenger in Gavin Cromwell after Stumptown scored his fourth consecutive win over cross country fences at Cheltenham yesterday, and put himself in contention for the leading cross country horse in the challenge. For good measure, Cromwell’s other runner, Vanillier, was an 8 1/4l third, and might have been second but for nearly taking the wrong route early in the race, which lost him the lead and pushed him among the backmarkers.

Stumptown lay handy throughout under Keith Donoghue, now a winner of this race for a record fifth time, and although he hit a flat spot 4 out, rallied to reel in course and distance winner Latenightpass to win by 7l. He is now being aimed at the Grand National next month.

The second, Latenightpass, has an admirable record over these obstacles, winning twice and never out of the frame. Whilst he is entered at Aintree, a route through cross country races could well appeal.

The reputation of this race to renew the enthusiasm of horses that have lost form is very strong. The Goffer and Chemical Energy, winners of just 2 of their 20 steeplechases each, ran up to the best form to come fourth and sixth, whilst perpetual bridesmaid, Mister Coffey, second twice over this course before Christmas, ran on to be a 13 1/2l fifth. Craon winner Roi Mage ran seventh.

Although the winner is being aimed at the Grand National, the race may yet come too soon. Being little more than 3 weeks’ hence. Stumptown ran in snatches, Donoghue reporting he wasn’t necessarily at his best. Nevertheless he was good enough to defy top weight in this race that successfully reverted to handicap status. Contrary to the view of some professionals, and perhaps challengers from overseas more used to running in conditions races, the transition was a marked success.

Cromwell’s first and third places catapult him into contention for the leading trainer status in the Crystal Cup with just three races remaining. The top of the Trainer rankings has compressed, with three trainers within 7pts of each other. Whilst Josef Vana’s 40pts were accumulated early in the challenge, the mid-winter fixtures do not play to the advantage of horses trained in the Czech Republic, where harsher winters do not allow for a winter steeplechase programme. Beau Saonais or Gap Pierji are likely to reappear at Fontainebleau, but with Cromwell likely to run horses at Punchestown, the stage may be set for a showdown at Lion d’Angers at the end of May.

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.

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.

Delta Work, twice a winner of the Glenfarclas Cross Country at the Cheltenham Festival, has died after a bout of colic. He had been one of three Gigginstown Stud entries in the ninth leg of the Crystal Cup.

His stellar career included five Grade I chases , including an Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in 2020, but in latter years, he saved his best for Cheltenham, winning the Pertemps Final in 2028, the cross country in 2022 and 2023. The 2022 victory was at the expense of another Gigginstown favourite in Tiger Roll, three times a winner of the same race. The 7/1 offered about Delta Work’s chances of adding a third cross country in 3 weeks indicated his popularity among the racing audience.

At the age of 12, it might be argued his best days were behind him, but a second to I Am Maximus in last April’s Randox Grand National belied that. This was a horse with  a real zest for the sport.

Trainer Gordon Elliott told the Racing Post, “Everyone here is gutted by the news. He was such a huge favourite of the yard and he gave us so many memorable days over so many seasons. As a five time Grade I winner and a triple Cheltenham Festival winner, he was everything you could hope for in a racehorse.”

Entries for the ninth leg of the Crystal Cup at Cheltenham next month, and likely its most competitive to date, closed today, with 31 throwing their hat in the ring for Festival glory. Despite the race’s reversion to handicap status, there is a familiar look to the headline acts for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeplechase (A Handicap) over 3m 5f, many of whom are headed for Aintree’s Grand National showpiece in April.

Stumptown, winner here in December, heads the market at a miserly 5/2, with weights due to be published on February 26th. He is one of two entries from Gavin Cromwell, one of 7 Irish trainers showing interest in the £75,000 contest, the other,Vanillier, fresh from overturning Coko Beach over the Punchestown banks in early February. They are 2 among 16 Irish entries, half the field. It’s a rare Festival contest without a Willie Mullins entry.

Gigginstown is well represented with a triumvirate of stars, although perhaps it must be said they are all past their peak. Led by Delta Work, who carried 11st 4lb to a 7 1/2l second place in last year’s Grand National, the 12 year old was last seen a distant fourth to L’Homme Pressé in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January.

He may well be joined by Coko Beach, outpointed by Vanillier at Punchestown but a leading candidate in the Velka Pardubicka back in October before unseating, and Conflated, who has been running in exalted company all season. This drop in class may be sufficient to see him finish in the frame for the first time this season over obstacles he prefers to orthodox fences. Gigginstown have been a vociferous opponent of the change in the race conditions; perhaps not so surprising after their considerable success with Tiger Roll, but they’ve never been afraid to pitch their horses into a fight.

Notable among the entries too is the Patrick Griffin-trained Roi Mage, who has followed an orthodox cross country route to this race through Corlay, Craon, and Compiegne. At 25/1, he may well represent excellent value subject to his weight, and is deemed worthwhile enough for champion French rider James Reveley to travel over. Putting in a good showing here would cement his credentials for the Leading Horse Award in the Crystal Cup.

Gordon Elliott’s six-strong team includes Galvin, another whose preparation for this race might seem unorthodox, his only run this season over hurdles 4,000miles away in Far Hills, New Jersey, last October, when he went down by a neck to star US jumper Snap Decision. Galvin’s no stranger to these obstacles however. Two honourable runs over the cross country obstacles in the autumn of ’23 preceded fourth behind I Am Maximus in the ’24 Randox Grand National.

Latenightpass excelled in cross country races last season, but has found a winning thread rather more elusive this time around. He should be well weighted however on the basis of his recent form, whilst Mister Coffey has excellent form over these fences, despite still being a maiden in steeplechases after 15 runs.

David Cottin has entered three, providing a continental flavour to the race. Placenet won the opening Grand Steeplechase de Flandres back in August but was cruelly exposed when stepping up to Grade I company by Gran Diose in the Prix de la Haye Jousselin at Auteuil in November. Motu Fareone has never run over this extended distance, whilst Iceo Madrik came to Cheltenham in December well fancied after a brace of wins at Compiegne, one the listed Crystal Cup leg, only to unseat early in the contest – an inconclusive visit. He has scope to deliver off a low weight.

It’s difficult to make a case for any of the remainder, who look well exposed in this company, even though they include hoary old favourites like Back On The Lash, French Dynamite and Fakir d’Oudairies. Their chances would be enhanced by the top weights dropping out after the weights are published at the end of the month.