Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase Odds : ScotsIrish Cheltenham Tips
There are few better spectacles for punters at Cheltenham than seeing great handicap chasers tackle the cross country course on the first day of the meeting. It is seen as the race where specialist horses and many amateur riders can have their day in the sun at jump racing’s premier event.
The three miles and seven furlongs contest allows the public to congregate in the middle of the track, therefore allowing them to get up close and personal with the horses as they tackle some spectacular fences.
They include a combination of man-man obstacles made out of ditches, hedges and timber rails, along with more natural challenges, such as steep banks and tricky water jumps.
The course, which runs deliberately through the middle of Prestbury Park, was designed by Mike Etherington-Smith – a world renowned 3-Day-Event landscaper.
The event is one of the newest races at the Festival and was only brought in when a fourth day was added in 2005. Since its inception, Ireland have always landed the £45,000 prize. Spot Thedifference (2005), Heads Onthe Ground (2007) and Garde Champetre (2008, 2009) have given Enda Bolger, and owner JP McManus, many happy memories and you would expect their dominance of the race to last a few more years yet.
Jockey Nina Carberry also has a strong reputation in the race as she has been on board three of the four Bolger winners and has struck up a mesmeric partnership with the gallant Garde Champetre.
Last season was all about the young pretender, Sizing Australia – trained by Henry De Bromhead, who became only the second nine-year-old to win the race after Garde Champetre in 2008. It was another occasion were Irish eyes were smiling as De Bromhead’s charge lead home an Irish 1-2-3 with the ever consistent Garde Champetre in second and A New Story back in third.
Nothing is ever nailed on in horse racing but you can all-but guarantee that the winner of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase will be Irish trained.
All seven winners of this race have come from the Emerald Isle with 28 of the 31 placed horses also landing a blow for the Irish.
The market leader for the race is the, unsurprisingly, Irish trained Scotsirish for Willie Mullins. The eleven-year-old has been targeted for this race since the start of the season and you could say he has unfinished at Cheltenham after what transpired in his previous outing there in December. After bolting up on his debut in this type of race at Punchestown he was well backed to land the odds again but the race turned into a farce after the first seven steered the wrong course into the straight, with two coming down on the tight turn.
Of the seven, this included Mullins’ charge, who surely would have gone very close as he was travelling all over his rivals when they went off course. Every cloud has a silver lining though as because of the carnage, he only finished fifth and his handicap mark will be the same when he returns to the Festival.
He is the one to beat but there are some big dangers to his crown, especially two-time winner Garde Champetre for Edna Bolger, who has won this race four times since its inception in 2005.
People will argue that he isn’t the force of old, and he was beaten comfortably last time out by Scotirish at Leopardstown, but this is a horse that comes alive when at Prestbury Park. From 16 starts he has won six and finished second twice and although he isn’t getting any younger, the legendary 13-year-old will popular with punters come the race.
Bolger’s runner was put in his place in last year’s renewal however, by Sizing Australia and Henry De Bromhead’s charge will certainly be back to defend his crown this year. Although consistency isn’t always associated with this horse and his record of just three wins from 32 starts will put a lot of people off investing their hard earned in him.
Whatever the result, however, you can guarantee the race will be a super spectacle and most certainly produce another Irish winner.
