2025 Cross Country Chase Tips
Stumptown could be the new Cross Country Chase champion, with the eight-year-old having won his previous three races. In December, the horse was able to oblige by one length when winning a Cross Country encounter after being sent off as the 4/1 favourite. This came after a three-mile success at Punchestown over three miles.
It's been three wins on the bounce for the Gavin Cromwell-trained runner, with Galvin next in the betting and it will be interesting to see whether the eleven-year-old can break his duck in this race. Let’s not forget that the horse finished fourth in the 2024 Aintree Grand National, with the runner having been wrapped up since finishing second in an American encounter in October.
Delta Work has been saddled to victory in the past two renewals, with the twelve-year-old returning to the track and hoping to find some form after some underwhelming performances. Last time out, there was an appearance at Cheltenham in January where the horse ran reasonably well in the Cotswold Chase in a Grade 2 encounter.
Beyond the first three in the betting, there could be a decent showing from Hip Hop Conti who comes over from France after some flashy performances, most notably at Pau. Naturally, it’s hard to marry French form with the UK races, with Mister Coffey having finished just a length behind Stumptown in that December race.
2024 Cross Country Chase Tips
Delta Work might be getting a little long in the tooth although the bookies still respect the chances of an eleven-year-old who won the 2023 Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The horse triumphed by two and a half lengths before competing in the Grand National where he unseated his rider.
This season, there was a third placed finish out of five runners behind Minella Indo and Hurricane Georgie, with the horse then sixth out of a field of thirteen when it came to the November Cross Country. However, Conflated is a viable contender and there was plenty to like about the horse’s performance in the Savills Chase before unseating his rider.
The runner wasn’t far behind Gerri Colombe when four runners competed at Down Royal in November, although the horse was dead last behind Minella Indo and three other runners, with the latter looking like an attractive each-way bet. We know that the eleven-year-old oozes class and there was a smart win at Punchestown last time out.
In his first cross country outing, there was a fourth-placed finish out of thirteen runners and perhaps Henry de Bromhead’s charge can come on for the run. We also can’t discount Galvin who was fifth out of thirteen runners in the December Cross Country race at Cheltenham, with Keith Donoghue likely to be on board once again.
2023 Cross Country Chase Betting Tips
Delta Work was able to win the 2022 Cross Country Chase and can be described as the most unpopular winner of the entire Cheltenham Festival meeting. It ended up with the horse competing with stable mate Tiger Roll in the final run-in and the victory was met with boos as the two-time Grand National winner was touched off in the closing stages.
Nevertheless, Delta Work will be back to line up in the same race at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, with the horse having finished third in the Cross Country race at Cheltenham back in January when being sent off as the 5/2 favourite. We might not read too much into his performance in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan over two miles and five furlongs either.
Galvin is another horse that looks as though he’s been primed for this particular race and the Gordon Elliott-trained charge was actually fourth in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup when finishing behind A Plus Tard, Minella Indo and Protektorat. If the horse is able to run anywhere close to that mark, he stands a great chance.
The runner was able to win a Grade 3 encounter at Punchestown in October over three miles before struggling at Down Royal in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase for which he was sent off as the 10/11 favourite. He finished a long way behind Envoi Allen, Kemboy and Conflated which might have persuaded connections that the Cross Country is a more viable option.
2022 Cross Country Chase Betting Tips
Tiger Roll might have won two Grand Nationals at Aintree Racecourse, although the horse has fared even better when it comes to the Cross Country Chase betting tips. The Gigginstown-owned runner first won this race in 2018 and went on to defend his crown in 2019. Despite an underwhelming performance in 2020, the popular champ claim a third triumph a year later.
Gordon Elliott is back training the horse for the Cheltenham Festival and the crowds will cheer on a horse who hasn’t produced any sort of form since winning the 2021 Cross Country Chase. Last March, he enjoyed an eighteen length win over Easysland, although then went to Aintree and finished a long way behind eventual winner Clan Des Obeaux.
The horse was never travelling before being pulled up in the Unibet Many Clouds Chase in early December, while there was nothing to suggest he was pulling up any trees in the Navan Handicap Hurdle, although Tiger Roll betting odds for this clash look altogether different.
Prengarde Cheltenham Betting Favourite to Win
Prengarde is a talented six-year-old who will be one of the younger runners in this Cheltenham Festival race. The French-trained runner has won four of his past five races leading into this encounter and looks suitably handy when it comes to taking on the more established rivals.
The big question is the fact that the horse has never made an appearance at a UK racecourse although he should be able to perform at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, with the horse being sent off as the even money favourite to win the Grand Steeple-Chase-Cross-Country de Compiegne before obliging by eight lengths.
Easysland is the other Cheltenham betting tip that is sure to be among the leading contenders and this horse was victorious in 2020, although he was sent off as the even money betting favourite in the 2021 Cross Country Chase before finding Tiger Roll too hot to handle.
Is Easysland a Cheltenham Festival Banker?
Punters are always looking for Cheltenham bankers and there aren’t many horses trading as short as Easysland for their respective races right now, with the runner available at around the 2/1 mark and you can expect these odds to shorten as we get closer to the race providing that the horse remains entered.
The six-year-old destroyed the field in last year’s race and continued an impressive winning run although backers were disappointed when the horse made a seasonal debut at Cheltenham in November and could only finish fourth behind Kingswell Theatre, Beau Du Brizais and Potters Corner.
Nevertheless, perhaps the horse needed a run considering the big delay from the previous race and there will be plenty of punters expecting the horse to show his true colours when it comes to the 2021 Cheltenham Festival.
Can Tiger Roll Bounce Back From Disappointing Runs?
Tiger Roll is the twice winner of the Grand National and a true
legend, although the ten-year-old might be getting somewhat long in the tooth and the last two performances have been disappointing – three if you include the defeat to Easysland in the Cross Country Chase.
The horse wasn’t expected to win a Maiden race at Navan considering it was very much a run-out for Tiger Roll, although the Gordon Elliott charge was pulled up in the November Cross Country and there’s a big question mark over whether the horse will turn up for the Festival in March.
Can Potters Corner Deliver a Victory?
Potters Corner was third in the November Cross Country Chase and therefore has to be respected, with the Christian Williams-trained charge having previously won the Coral Welsh National and therefore has the capability to negotiate the many obstacles this race throws up along with plenty of stamina.
The horse has now beaten race favourite Easysland at Cheltenham and has the potential to triumph again, with Amazing Comedy and Some Neck next in the betting and it could be worth opposing the market leader.
The Cross Country Chase is one of the more recent additions to the Cheltenham Festival, with the race inaugurated in 2005 and this is one of the longer heats of the meeting, with the distance spanning three miles and six furlongs.
Trainer Enda Bolger has had plenty of joy in the race, with Spotthedifference being the first ever winner and the Irish trainer also enjoyed success with Garde Champetre on two occasions.
More recently, Gordon Elliott has been very successful in the Cross Country Chase, with Cause Of Causes winning in 2017, while Tiger Roll has claimed the last two renewals and could be back at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival to rule the roost.
Tiger Roll has famously won the Grand National on consecutive occasions and it’s likely that the 10-year-old will compete at the Festival before heading to Aintree in search of a historic treble.
The Tiger is likely to be a warm order to win the Cross Country and early birds might want to back the horse at a decent 2/1 now rather than wait until closer to the race where you might find the price has shrunk considerably.
We can’t forget how comfortable it was for Tiger Roll in this race last year and it’s unlikely that any horse in the field is likely to be much of a match.
Ladbrokes are as short as 5/4 with Ladbrokes that the horse lands a Cross Country hat-trick at Cheltenham, although owner Michael O’Leary is his own man and there’s never any certainty that the horse will line up.
Perhaps Yanworth is the horse that might give Tiger Roll some competition, with Enda Bolger having proved adept at schooling other winners in this race and this is a horse that has previously run in Champion Hurdles and World Hurdles at the Festival.
The ten-year-old was impressive at Punchestown recently when winning over three miles and Bolger is now going to try him over the different obstacles in the hope of landing the spoils.
Urgent De Gregaine is available at 12/1 and we should expect another bold showing from a horse that is familiar with cross-country racing, while Edwulf is another interesting competitor.
Cross Country Handicap Chase FAQ
The Cross Country Chase takes place at 3.20pm on Wednesday 12 March, with this being on Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival. It’s a unique race at the meeting, with the runners and riders competing over a variety of different obstacles and it’s an encounter that is enjoyed by spectators and punters.
The current favourite for the Cross Country Chase is Stumptown, although the betting odds are likely to change as we get closer to this long distance race. Mister Coffey, Sweet David and Galvin are also anticipated to run, with this race attracting older horses who have plenty of steeplechase experience.
Betting on the Cross Country Chase is now available and you can find the latest odds at Racing-Odds.com. You can compare the various prices and either choose to bet win only or go for an each-way selection when it comes to this encounter.
The favourites in the Cross Country Chase have a modest record, with roughly a third of the previous eighteen races seeing the market leader oblige with a victory. It’s worth noting that the majority of the winners had run at Cheltenham before and actually encountered the Cross Country Chase course.
There was no winner of last year’s Cross Country Chase due to the course being waterlogged, although the 2023 winner was Delta Work. The Gigginstown runner was also successful in 2022, with the legendary Tiger Roll having landed a victory in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Those customers looking to back a horse to be placed can choose the each-way option which means splitting your stake between win and place. The Cross Country Chase is an ideal each-way race and you can often find a big priced horse running into the frame.
Watching the Cross Country Chase can be achieved in a number of ways. You can either attend in person or watch on television. Alternatively, you can log into your betting account and utilise the Bet and Watch service which involves placing a wager and then enjoying the action.
There is always a form guide available for the Cross Country Chase which allows you to go through the runners and riders. Work out which horses have been performing well and the ones that have been primed to race in this encounter.