Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase

Class 2, Cheltenham 14:55
£35,000 added,
5yo plus,
3m 6f 37y  
Friday 15th November 2024

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1 Sweet David 5/1
2 Mister Coffey 5/1
3 Back On The Lash 33/1
9 ran Distances: 6½l, 1¼l, 4½l
Time: 8m 0.19s (slow by 12.19s)

In a thrilling edition of the race, French raider Sweet David emerged as the emphatic winner.

Trained by Gabriel Leenders and ridden by Felix de Giles, the five-year-old was making his British debut but brought a wealth of experience from cross-country races in France.

With a record of placing in several specialist events across French tracks, Sweet David was a 5-1 chance to replicate his domestic success on British soil. He traveled smoothly and was ridden patiently by De Giles, although he caused some anxiety for his connections when he raced mid-division on the turn for home.

A dramatic moment unfolded when Seamus Mullins' Tommie Beau, who had been running well, misjudged an opening in the rail and veered off course. Sweet David momentarily seemed to follow suit but was expertly guided back on track by De Giles. Despite a subsequent collision with the railing, Sweet David powered up the hill to win by six and a half lengths from Mister Coffey, with Back On The Lash finishing third.

Leenders, who had previously celebrated success in the Cleeve Hurdle with Gold Tweet, expressed his delight: “We can dream now. We visited Cheltenham with the owners yesterday, and it was a great experience for everyone. Making the cross country at the Cheltenham Festival a handicap gives us a chance since we don't have a Grade One horse. Today was our main objective, and we had to be ready for the English and Irish horses. While others might not have been fully prepared, we were. He's a young horse and still improving. He'll probably have a race on the Flat before March. We're in a dream now; we'll think about the future later.”

QuinnBet

Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
£35,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 6f 37y, Class 2
9 ran
Going: Good

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Sweet David 5 10-2 Gabriel Leenders Felix De Giles 5/1
2 6½ Mister Coffey 9 10-2 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 5/1
3 1¼ Back On The Lash 10 10-2 Martin Keighley James Best 33/1
4 4½ Statuario 9 10-2 Peter & Michael Bowen Sean Bowen 33/1
5 1½ Slipway 9 10-2 Ben Pauling Ben Jones 13/2
6 3¼ Busselton 7 10-5 Joseph O'Brien Richard Deegan 9/1
7 14 Fameaftertheglory 8 10-2 Gavin Cromwell Jonathan Burke 17/2
8 26 Conflated 10 12-0 Gordon Elliott Mr R James 9/2
RO Tommie Beau 9 10-5 Seamus Mullins Micheal Nolan 100/30F

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