16:10 Cheltenham

Wednesday 11 March 2020

All13:3014:1014:5015:3016:1016:5017:30

Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country Chase)

Off time: 16:12 | Winning time: 9m 9.6s

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Selected odds by:

Arlequin D'Allier^b,t1⁴⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr Derek O'Connor| T: E Clayeux| OR: 140

33/1

Winner of a valuable 2m4f handicap chase at Pau (heavy) in January. Has run well over an extended 3m2f in the past and may surprise a few better fancied rivals with a top amateur booked to ride on his first start in this sphere.

Form: 33-14P1

Chic Name^p,t³⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: J J Burke| T: R Hobson| OR: 132

50/1

Finished fifth in this last year and ran well when 15½L fourth to Easysland over C&D on good-to-soft ground in December. Beaten a short-head at Musselburgh (4m1f, good-to-soft) subsequently and looks likely to find a few too good once more.

Form: 8-P0342

Diesel D'Allier^t³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: E Clayeux| OR: 137| CD

33/1

Winner over this C&D on soft ground last November and placed at Pau in a heavy ground 3m4f contest the following month. Faller in a race won by Easysland at the same venue last time out and more needed in this event.

Form: 24512F

Easysland^p,t³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: J Plouganou| T: D Cottin| OR: 152| CD

3/1

Unbeaten in six completed cross country starts including over this C&D on good-to-soft ground in December. Followed up with a 3L victory over an extended 3m7f in Listed company at Pau (very soft) last month and holds strong claims once more.

Form: 11-1111

Josies Orders^p²²

Age: 12| Weight: 11-4| J: M P Walsh| T: E Bolger| OR: 140| CD

50/1

Useful horse in his sphere on his day winning four times over this C&D including when winning this race in 2016. Placed second here last year and showed signs of a possible return to form when fourth in a 3m1f banks race at Punchestown last month.

Form: 225P84

Kingswell Theatre^p⁶²

Age: 11| Weight: 11-4| J: T Scudamore| T: M Scudamore| OR: 129| CD

100/1

Successful in a C&D contest back in November 2017 but has finished held in four completed starts this campaign including when 66L fifth over 3m6f at Catterick (soft) in January. More needed if he's to take this race.

Form: 2-556P5

Might Bite³²

Age: 11| Weight: 11-4| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 158| C

9/1

Top class chaser on his day and ran well when finishing 10½L third in a Grade 2 chase over an extended 2m7f at Newbury (good) last month. Interesting to see how he fares in his first cross country start.

Form: 57P-UP3

Neverushacon^p,t²²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 138

25/1

Shown good form in banks races this campaign including when winning over 3m1f at Punchestown (heavy) in February. Beaten 20L when fifth to Easysland here in December however and looks likely to hold place claims at best on this occasion.

Form: 482531

Outlander^p⁷⁰

Age: 12| Weight: 11-4| J: James Bowen| T: R Spencer| OR: 145

100/1

Expensive purchase at the sales in April last year but has struggled since joining this yard including when pulled up in a Grade 3 handicap chase over an extended 2m4f on soft ground here in January. Probably best watched on cross country debut.

Form: 5449-3P

Out Sam^t,v²²

Age: 11| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr J J Codd| T: G Elliott| OR: 137

33/1

Placed third, beaten 13L by Easysland over this C&D on good-to-soft ground in November. Well held in two subsequent starts however and more needed if he's to reverse that form in this contest.

Form: 2FP306

Sumkindofking^p,t³⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr N George| T: T R George| OR: 132

100/1

Beaten 7½L when finishing third in a 4m1f handicap chase at Musselburgh (good-to-soft) at the start of last month. Set a tough task on his first start in cross country races.

Form: 446423

Tiger Roll^b,t²⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G Elliott| OR: 171| CD

8/11

Winner of the last two runnings of this race and duly followed up in the Grand National on each occasion. Likely to prove very hard to beat having finished a respectable 14½L fifth in a Grade 2 hurdle at Navan (2m5f, heavy) on last month's return.

Form: 1/4111-5

Urgent De Gregaine^p,t⁵²

Age: 12| Weight: 11-4| J: Felix de Giles| T: E Clayeux| OR: 149| CD

16/1

C&D winner and placed twice in this race including when 23L third 12 months ago. Fair fourth over 2m7f at Pau (heavy) last time out and is one to note as he seeks a first victory in this event.

Form: 2/P3-234

Yanworth^p²²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: E Bolger| OR: 145| BF| C

18/1

Grade 1 winner over hurdles and was a winner of a 3m banks race at Punchestown (soft) in November. Faller on course debut here in December and interesting to see how he performs having disappointed when third at Punchestown last month.

Form: P0-P1F3

Non-Runners

Fact Of The Matter⁷²

Weight: 11-4| Age: 10

T: Jamie Snowden J: G Sheehan

Utility⁷⁶

Weight: 11-4| Age: 9

T: Mrs S Leech J: Mr D Skehan

Forecasts

Tiger Roll (8/11), Easysland (3/1), Might Bite (9/1), Urgent De Gregaine (16/1), Yanworth (18/1), Neverushacon (25/1), Out Sam (33/1), Diesel D'Allier (33/1), Arlequin D'Allier (33/1), Chic Name (50/1), Fact Of The Matter (50/1), Josies Orders (50/1), Outlander (100/1), Utility (100/1), Sumkindofking (100/1), Kingswell Theatre (100/1)

Having won the last two runnings of this contest it's hard to look passed dual Grand National winner TIGER ROLL in the 2020 renewal of the cross country chase. Easysland has shown good form in this sphere to date and the gelding, unbeaten in seven completed starts in this sphere looks likely to give the selection most to think about while fellow French raider Urgent De Gregaine can get the better of stablemate Arlequin D'Allier in the battle for third place.