Grand National-bound Stumptown strikes in Cross Country

The favourite obliged in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase as Stumptown (5-2F) continued his affinity with this unique race and idiosyncratic circuit to make it three from three this season - and set up a tilt at the Randox Grand National.

The eight-year-old was never too far away but his eased-down success looked more unlikely than not at several stages during the final five furlongs and he was nudged along by rider Keith Donoghue to keep tabs on pace-setters Escaria Ten, Latenightpass and Chemical Energy before the sixth-last obstacle.

Yet as the pace in front appreciably slowed on the run to the final fence, Stumptown travelled menacingly in-behind and was kept up to his work to score by seven lengths from Latenightpass (11-1), with the fast-finishing Vanillier (15-2) also hitting the frame for Gavin Cromwell. 

After several seconds at this year’s Festival, Cromwell opened his account here for a seventh success at the fixture overall while Donoghue registered his sixth winner – and fifth in this particular race in the last seven years.

“I’m delighted," the winning trainer told Racing TV's Tom Stanley.

“I thought we were in a little bit of bother for a while there, he just wasn’t travelling the way he usually can.

“It’s unbelievable to think [he can win that] off a mark of 157 - I never thought he’d win a race off that, but he’s just so much better at this.”

After two seconds and a third on day one of the meeting – including Only By Night, who he thought was “home and hosed” in the Arkle – Cromwell admitted to his “relief” at getting on the scoreboard at this year’s Festival. 

“We’re coming here with loads of good chances but that doesn’t guarantee you anything,” said the trainer. 

He added: “He obviously loves the cross-country racing and Keith is definitely worth a few pounds around that track, that’s for sure.

“We’ll aim him at the Grand National. It is coming soon enough, but all being well, he’ll go there.

“It is tight, but the race today was on nice ground and there’s a lot of twisting and turning. I don’t know if it takes as much out of them as a traditional handicap chase where it’s end-to-end stuff.”

“It wasn’t looking likely for a long time,” said the winning rider. 

“He didn’t jump as well as he could jump, coming up beside the cheese wedges for the last time we hit a bit of soft ground and I thought my chance was gone.

“I did know he’d stay and he came alive a bit coming through the Canal Turn, and I knew I had a chance then. 

We had the cheekpieces on for a reason because he can be lairy, and when I got into him after the second-last I knew he would win then. 

“I probably ended up getting there a bit too soon!”

The rider added on more Festival success: “It’s brilliant. 

“We thought we had plenty of chances but it’s not easy here. To get one makes the whole week feel better.” 

Donoghue made his reputation in this race aboard Tiger Roll, the horse synonymous with his riding career, and Stumptown could be set for a similar route now to that Aintree great. 

Asked by Racing TV’s Lydia Hislop on what might be next, the rider said: “Hopefully the sae as Tiger Roll and win the Grand National!

“I think he’d love the fences, I think the better ground in the race would suit him and he’s off a nice weight. I’m really looking forward to him.”

Tom Ellis, trainer of Latenightpass, said: “I thought, jumping the barrels, he was going better than anything. I could see Keith was off the bridle and you dare to dream. 

“He’s 12, he’s not getting any better, but he’s so good round there. He’s like a cat over those banks; he just makes ground up and that helps him so much in his races. 

“I’m not surprised he ran like that, to be honest. I fancied him coming here today - we’d sort of been building to this from Aintree last year, to be honest, and it was always our plan. 

“He’s such an honest horse. We might go to Paris with him now for the Grand Steep. No lady has ever ridden in it - I don’t think an amateur has ever ridden in it, either, from what David Maxwell was telling me, and I think we probably will go there. I think he’d take to it - I can’t see why he wouldn’t. He’s getting on in his years so we may as well have a go.

“He’s like a part of the family. He was born on the farm, he’s so easy to deal with - he’s a horse of a lifetime for us. I watched him being born, and I’ve done everything with him with Gina and Jack since that point. 

“For us, it feels like we’ve won. I think it speaks volumes for our system and for the people we’ve got around us, to get him to this point.”