Cheltenham Festival: Stumptown storms home for convincing Cross Country victory

Gavin Cromwell is eyeing a crack at Grand National glory after Stumptown duly delivered when going off as favourite for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, with Keith Donoghue conjuring up a powerful late charge.

In a race that stretches over three miles and five and a half furlongs and includes 31 jumping efforts, Cromwell’s eight-year-old followed up December’s course and distance success in fine style.

All obstacles were safely navigated by Stumptown, who looked handy throughout and was evidently in control when he turned the final bend, before galloping on strongly to prevail by seven lengths at 5-2.

Gavin Cromwell

Cromwell said: “I was very concerned for a while to be honest, but he’s run out a good winner in the end. I think Keith thought he wasn’t at his best either, but we’ll take it.

“He obviously loves the cross-country racing and Keith is definitely worth a few pounds around that track, that’s for sure.

“We’ll aim him at the Grand National. It is coming soon enough, but all being well, he’ll go there.

“It is tight, but the race today was on nice ground and there’s a lot of twisting and turning. I don’t know if it takes as much out of them as a traditional handicap chase where it’s end-to-end stuff.”

Latenightpass was second, while Stumptown’s stablemate Vanillier also advertised his Aintree claims when coming with a wet sail under Sean Flanagan to take third place.

Cromwell added: “Vanillier went a bit wide early on, which certainly didn’t help his cause. I didn’t get chance to chat to Sean but he lost a lot of ground having set out to make the running.

“He’s in the National as well and I think he should get in and the plan is for him to go, too.”

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