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The Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country Chase) is one of my favourite races of the week. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love the course and the jumps they have on show.
Gordon Elliott has been the master trainer of this race since 2017. He has racked up four wins, and Denise Foster ‘trained' Tiger Roll when he managed to win his last X-Country, but Gordon was probably in the background.
Though the class horse in the race normally does win, you can often find a bit of value. Tiger Roll won this in 2018 at 7/1 and then won it at 5/4F and 9/2 which seems ridiculous in hindsight. Last year's winner Delta Work won at 5/2, which is still a decent price.
Cheltenham 4:10 – Galvin 9/4 (1pt)
I won't be mentioning many in this, as the majority of them don't have a chance in hell of winning this.
Delta Work is the short-priced favourite for this, and you can't argue why. He won this last year, is one of the class horses in the race, and with Gordon's record in the race, you've got to say he is the one they all have to beat. He won on his very first try at this course last year when beating Tiger Roll on his farewell run, which crushed the hearts of many. He will be aimed for the Grand National after this and this will be a prep run like it was for Tiger Roll.
Even though Delta Work is the favourite, I will be taking him on with a newcomer to the X-Country ranks in the shape of Galvin. This horse is now probably the ‘class' horse in the race, more so than Delta Work as he is the younger horse, and was fourth in last year's Gold Cup. I thought his Gold Cup last run was a good effort, he is a Grade 1 horse if there were races longer than 3m 2f, but there aren't any, so I can understand why connections have gone for this. He is an out-and-out stayer and today's trip of 3m 6f is what he wants. He won the National Hunt Chase over this trip in 2021, so we know he stays very well. I don't know if he handles the jumps today, but Gordon knows better than anyone, and he has come out and said he loves it, and I think with Davy in the saddle he will win this if his jumping is good.
With this race being run at level weights, the rest are probably deemed as no-hopers. You have course winners with Back On The Lash, but they are 20 lbs worse off at the weights, and will find this very tough and will have a better chance at the start of next jumps season when they can run over the X-Country in the handicaps.
