The 2025 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase: stats, trends and replays

All you need to know about the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse on Wednesday March 12.

When and where can I watch the race? 4.10pm on Wednesday March 12, live on Racing TV

Which Grade? Conditions event. Which course? Cross Country Course. 

What distance? 3m 6f (32 obstacles).

Prize-money? £50,000

Ages: 5yo+. Weights & Allowances: Handicap

Sponsor: Glenfarclas

Sixteen of the 19 renewals have been won by Irish-trained horses. Philip Hobbs, with Balthazar King (2012 and 2014), is the only British trainer to have won the race, while David Cottin landed this race for France in 2020. 

Enda Bolger landed the race five times up until 2016 but has since been out of luck. Dominant since then, has been Gordon Elliott, who has landed five of the past seven renewals. Tiger Roll won for Denise Foster in 2021 - she was installed as the licensed trainer at Cullentra House Stables last February after Elliott was handed a six-month ban.

Twelve of the last 16 winners had been placed previously over the cross-country course at Cheltenham. Tiger Roll was an exception for his first success in 2018, having previously only been fifth there. And Delta Work was seeing the course for the first time when successful in the most recent renewal two years ago, although had schooled over the fences.

Horses aged 8-10 years old have dominated in recent years. Tiger Roll memorably triumphed in 2021 at the age of 11, only the second winner since 2006 above the age of 10 (A New Story won as a 12-year-old in 2010). Easysland was only six when storming to success in 2019.

The P.P Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase in Ireland has produced four winners and five runners-up.

Only three horses have defied a double-figure price in the race’s 18-year history. Rivage D’Or (16-1), Big Shu (14-1) and A New Story (25-1) are the only horses to go off bigger than 13-2 and win the race.

None of the seven winners from 2012-2018 ran in the Cross Country the year before. Easysland continued the trend in 2020 and Delta Work did the same in 2022.

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase was introduced at the Festival in 2005 and was initially run as a handicap until switching to a conditions race in 2016. In a notable change, the race will revert to handicap status from the 2025 Festival. 

It is one of three races scheduled over the cross country course at Cheltenham during the season and follows on from the Glenfarclas-sponsored events at the November Meeting and International fixture in December.

In the 2004/05 season, all three races were won by Spot Thedifference. Trainer Enda Bolger and owner J P McManus boast a formidable record in the race, having dominated the early runnings with four winners – Spot Thedifference (2005), Heads Onthe Ground (2007) and Garde Champetre (2008, 2009).

The same combination also struck in 2016 with Josies Orders, who was awarded the race after first-past-the-post Any Currency was later disqualified due to a prohibited substance.

Runners over three miles and six furlongs have to negotiate 32 obstacles including banks, ditches and hedges. The most recent obstacles to be introduced were ‘the cheese wedges’ (fences 15 and 16), which were first used at the November Meeting in 2009.

Silver Birch was runner-up in 2007 before going on to win the Grand National at Aintree the following month. Tiger Roll won in 2018 and 2019 before following up in the National.

Delta Work retained his Glenfarclas Chase title as Gordon Elliott won the Cheltenham Festival cross-country feature for the fifth time in seven years.

Last year Delta Work had to play the role of pantomime villain as he spoiled the retirement party of Tiger Roll by edging out the dual Grand National winner in a thriller. But this time around he was the people’s favourite, with the 10-year-old was sent off the heavily-backed 11-10 market leader.

Elliott said: “I love the cross-country race. It was great to have the one-two and see Galvin run a great race because he will come on for it.

“I’m pleased for Keith who is having his best ever season, but Jack (Kennedy, injured stable jockey) is a team player and he’s here lending his support. Jack will be back on these horses when he’s passed fit to return.

“Both horses will now go for the Grand National.”

He added: “I hoped it would be Delta’s day, to be honest, but really I don’t care what wins as I just love having winners.”

The fairytale ending was not to be. Tiger Roll could not sign off his fabulous career with a sixth Festival victory, yet he went out on his shield in typically, utterly valiant fashion, with a gallant second-place finish behind stablemate Delta Work.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll, a dual Grand National winner, was attempting to win the race for a fourth time and was sent off the 3-1 second-favourite.

Yet with the ground officially changed to heavy after the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, the chances of emulating Quevega's record six Cheltenham Festival victories diminished with every drop of rain. The Aintree and Cheltenham great, who was having the 45th and final run of a career which started in 2014 and earned owner Michael O'Leary over £1.4 million in prize-money, failed to read the script, however.

Davy Russell's mount was travelling so well when taking it up at the 24th of the 32 fences and the 12-year-old former Triumph Hurdle winner looked to briefly have the 5-2 market leader in trouble jumping the second-last.

But Delta Work, on his first try over the cross-country fences, was always close enough under Jack Kennedy, and slowly, with every stride, inched closer and eventually put his head in front 200 yards from the line to go score by three-quarters of a length. Plan Of Attack was a further 21 lengths further back in third.

To an almighty cheer, both Both Delta Work and Tiger Roll were led in together. An emotional O'Leary said: "It's hard not be disappointed. You've a winner at Cheltenham and I'm disappointed. It's just a magical fairytale on ground that doesn't suit him. He's gone out on his shield, he's a warrior and that's a Gold Cup horse that has beat him and only just on ground he wouldn't like.

"I'm actually upset - I would have loved to see him win it." He added: "This is his send-off - he owes us nothing. He's been wonderful to come back here for the six, seven, eight years. He's been the horse of a lifetime and in many ways Cheltenham has been his spiritual home. He's won five times here in Cheltenham. I know he's won two Grand Nationals, but he started here in Cheltenham."

The 11-year-old was winning the Glenfarclas for the third time after victories in 2018 and 2019, after landing the National Hunt Chase in 2017 and remarkably the JCB Triumph Hurdle all the way back in 2014.

Tiger Roll was put in his place by French raider Easysland last year, but the two-time Grand National winner put the young pretender in his place this time on favoured quicker ground to triumph by 18 lengths. Some Neck finished third, over 20 lengths behind the winner.

Donoghue said: "It’s unbelievable - there’s no better feeling in the world. I wish I could do it again!

"We always knew what this horse could show, and there’s no better horse than Tiger Roll to doubt the doubters. When he's on a going day, it takes a very good horse to beat him.”

Lisa O'Neill was representing Foster and said: "He's a sensation - words can't describe him."

Easysland (3-1) spolied the Tiger Roll party and became the first French-trained winner of this race with a commanding success for jockey Jonathan Plouganou, trainer David Cottin and owner J P McManus.

Always travelling strongly close to the pace, he jumped into the lead at the 20th obstacle of 30 and really quickened the pace five jumps from home to run out a brilliant 17-length winner from Cheltenham Festival legend and Grand National hero Tiger Roll in second (8-11F) with Out Sam (33-1) a further 18 lengths back in third.

"I was always dreamt of riding a winner as jockey here - unfortunately it didn't happen," said Cottin. "I was expecting a really good run for him. It's a big advantage to have come here in December. We knew that the heavy ground was going to be in his favour here.

"He's a horse who is extrememly well-balanced. When you have a cross-country horse, you have to train them when they're very young. The owners have been very patient with him and given him a lot of time."

Trainer Gordon Elliott said on Tiger Roll: "It's always disappointing when you don't win but overall we're happy. We said the ground was a big worry. As long as he is alright in the morning, that is all we want."

What a performance – Tiger Roll looked one of the Festival ‘good things’ beforehand and the Grand National hero certainly delivered like one, romping to victory by 22 lengths under jockey Keith Donoghue for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud.

This remarkable horse was winning at the Cheltenham Festival for the fourth time – his first victory at Prestbury Park, amazingly, five years previously in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

“He’s some legend,” said Donoghue. “Today was arguably his best performance.”

“It’s phenomenal,” said owner Michael O’Leary. “I read this morning that no horse has ever retained the Cross Country, so I didn’t think it would happen for him.

“He’s small of frame and small of stature and he owes us nothing. He’s been an amazing horse. It doesn’t matter who is riding him, Tiger Roll always does the business.”

Menorably, the nine-year-old landed the Grand National for the second time just three weeks later – the first dual-winner of the great race since the legendary Red Rum.

A third Festival triumph for Tiger Roll - all in different races and some typically vivid images from Michael O'Leary, his owner (Gigginstown), afterwards.

He said: "This is a family pet now. He loved it. He hates everywhere else, but he loves Cheltenham. I wish I had a few more like him. He's a little rat of a thing, but he's the heart of a lion."

His jockey Keith Donoghue had taken time out of the saddle with weight problems, and was savouring his first Festival winner aboard the 7-1 chance.

Donoghue said: "That was brilliant. He jumped brilliant the whole way and travelled well. I thought he would win, my only worry was the ground. He comes alive round here - he loves it.

"If it wasn't for Gordon I wouldn't be standing here as I struggle with my weight."

Tiger Roll followed up in the Grand National the following month and would win the iconic Aintree race for a second time in 2019. Not bad for a "little rat of a thing".

Cause Of Causes has become a standing dish at the Cheltenham Festival and his nine-length romp in the Cross Country Chase completed a hat-trick of victories, having landed the Kim Muir in 2016 and National Hunt Chase the season before.

He has become a real star for trainer Gordon Elliott, who was understandably full of praise for his star.

“He is a brilliant horse and I am so lucky to have him,” he said, after his emphatic success under the talented amateur Jamie Codd last March.

The 2016 running of the Cross Country Chase was ‘won’ by Any Currency but he was later disqualified after a banned substance was found in a blood sample.

That meant Josies Orders was awarded the race, although that won’t have helped the many punters who backed him into 15-8 favouritism on the day but wouldn’t have been paid out.

Enda Bolger’s eight-year-old completed a clean sweep of the three races run over the cross country course at Prestbury Park that season and also provided Nina Carberry with a fourth win in the race.

Rivage D’Or was tackling the unique cross country course for the very first time when he lined up in 2015 (the last time the race was run as a handicap) but you would never have guessed that as he hacked away under a confident Davy Russell ride.

In front at the last, he only needed riding out to easily assert from Any Currency, with Irish runners filling three of the first four places. Rivage D’Or hadn’t been seen under Rules at all that season, indeed he hadn’t raced at all since being pulled up in a Devon point in November (when trained by Kayley Woollacott) so it was some effort by new trainer Tony Martin to get him to the Festival in such good shape.

The 2014 renewal was a strong one, with the last three winners all back for more, so it would have taken a huge effort for Balthazar’s King to defy top weight and win the race for the second time.

He was blessed with the most admirable of attitudes and, under a strong drive from Richard Johnson, he found plenty to repel Any Currency despite conceding 18lb to that rival.

Johnson was thrilled with the attitude of his mount, saying: “He's just amazing. I thought today it would be very difficult for him with top weight. He never stops trying. He's a real front-runner so I tried to save a little bit, but he just wants to win.”

Irish runners dominated the race in 2013, filling seven of the first eight places, but Big Shu was in no danger from the second-last, having poached a healthy lead under Barry Cash, and he stayed on nicely to score by four lengths.

Just an eight-year-old at the time, it looked at that point like he could dominate the cross country scene for small trainer Peter Maher in the years to come. He followed up in the La Touche Cup at Punchestown but disaster struck at the 2014 December meeting when he was fatally injured.