2016 Cross Country

[Guest]

Cantlow now with Edna and entered over banks at Punchestown at the weekend,

[Istabraq]

Talented horse but it's been a couple of years since he showed any kind of form, maybe the banks will reignite some enthusiasm and he's in the best hands possible, but the record of banks debutants at the festival race is terrible and I'm not sure there's a race in the calendar between now and March....

[Istabraq]

I take that back, Punchestown this coming Sunday and yet Cantlow is entered !

[mayo]

Cantlow had gone doggish so will take all Bolgers brillance to get him back. QE was unlucky last year ( ant French possibles this time ?) and main danger to the favourite.

Blathazar is back schooling but takes a big leap of faith after the injury.

[Istabraq]

QE was unlucky last year

I can feel them cold sweats coming back....

[Old Vic]

Looks like Bolger has got Cantlow interested again.

[loveracing]

QE was unlucky last year ( ant French possibles this time ?) and main danger to the favourite.

Yep, he was very unlucky last year. I remember getting a heads up for QE last year and felt robbed when he got took out.

Though Josies Orders seems to keep improving and looks a natural over the cc track.

[Morning Glory]

Took the few pennies at 1000 for Cantlow on Betfair for National. McCoy rode him in an Irish National and Geraghty in a Kerry one - looks like a horse they had hopes for that hasnt delivered. In Edna we trust.

[Yeehaa]

"They'll run in a hurdle race in Navan on February 14 and that will be their prep run for the cross-country in Cheltenham," Bolger told At The Races.

"Josies Orders was a good horse when Jonjo (O'Neill) had him.

"He just lost his way a bit and this sort of game just seemed to do the job on him.

"He loves Cheltenham and came out of his last race really well."

[loveracing]

FOXROCK will be trying something knew at Cheltenham next month after trainer Ted Walsh on Tuesday confirmed the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase as the Barry Connell-owned eight-year-old's festival target.

Walsh said: "It's been decided Foxrock will go the cross-country route for the first time at Cheltenham. He's rated 157 and, hopefully, he'll run to his mark.

"Having a highly rated horse is no guarantee of success when it comes to cross-country races. It all depends on how they take to it. We've schooled him over banks and different fences and he jumps them well."

Hoping for better Festival fortune

Foxrock, who has disappointed on his two visits to the festival, finishing ninth in the National Hunt Chase in 2014 and 12th in the Ryanair Chase a year ago, is a four-time winner over fences.

Last season he won the valuable Leopardstown Handicap Chase and finished second to Carlingford Lough in what was then the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

His best performance this season came in the Lexus Chase in which he finished third, a length behind the winner Don Poli. On his most recent start, he finished fourth in the Irish Gold Cup earlier this month.

[mayo]

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (a Cross Country steeplechase)
£60,000 Total Prize Fund. Cheltenham, 4.10pm, Wednesday, March 16, 2016, three miles and six furlongs (3m 6f 37yds). For five-year-olds & upwards. Weights: five-year-olds 11st 3lb, six-year-olds and up 11st 4lb, mares allowed 7lb. Horses who have not previously run in Cross Country races are to be schooled over the course prior to running. Entries closed March 1, entries revealed March 2 (25 entries). Six-day confirmations March 10, final declarations 10am, March
15. Maximum 16 runners.

Horse Age Owner Trainer
ANY CURRENCY (IRE) 13 Cash Is King Martin Keighley
ASTIGOS (FR) 9 A Brooks Venetia Williams
BALLYBOKER BRIDGE (IRE) 9 Ms H T Clarke McKeon Peter Maher IRE
BALTHAZAR KING (IRE) 12 The Brushmakers Philip Hobbs
BLESS THE WINGS (IRE) 11 Adrian Butler/S P O'Connor Gordon Elliott IRE
BOXING ALONG (IRE) 12 L Halley Vincent Halley IRE
CANTLOW (IRE) 11 J P McManus Enda Bolger IRE
CURRENT EXCHANGE (IRE) 11 Kaniz Bloodstock Investments Ltd Gordon Elliott IRE
DOLATULO (FR) 9 Chasemore Farm Warren Greatrex
FOXROCK (IRE) 8 Barry Connell Ted Walsh IRE
JOSIES ORDERS (IRE) 8 J P McManus Enda Bolger IRE
LOVE RORY (IRE) 8 Exors of the Late E Kavanagh Enda Bolger IRE
MERLIN’S WISH 11 Miss R Toppin Martin Keighley
MTADA SUPREME (IRE) 11 Mrs B Beattie Peter Maher IRE
PINEROLO 10 Golden Syndicate & Partner Joanne Foster
PROSPERITY SQUARE (IRE) 11 Owen Curtin Conor O'Dwyer IRE
QUANTITATIVEEASING (IRE) 11 J P McManus Enda Bolger IRE
RIVAGE D'OR (FR) 11 Gigginstown House Stud Tony Martin IRE
ROSSVOSS 8 D F Desmond Ted Walsh IRE
SIRE COLLONGES (FR) 10 Mrs Angela Tincknell & W Tincknell Paul Nicholls
SPRING HEELED (IRE) 9 Dr Ronan Lambe Jim Culloty IRE
THIRD INTENTION (IRE) 9 Robert and Sarah Tizzard Colin Tizzard
UNCLE JUNIOR (IRE) 15 Luke McMahon Willie Mullins IRE
UTAH DE LA COQUAIS (FR) 8 Joel Chaineau Eric Leray FR
VALADOM (FR) 7 Richard Hobson Richard Hobson
25 entries
15 Irish-trained
1 French-trained

[Ghandi]

These races tend to have repeat offenders so Rivage D'or will probably go off favourite for this, I'd read on here that Foxrock is a lively contender being schooled for this race, worth a shout?

[Yeehaa]

These races tend to have repeat offenders so Rivage D'or will probably go off favourite for this, I'd read on here that Foxrock is a lively contender being schooled for this race, worth a shout?

Have the conditions of this race changed ?

[Istabraq]

Have the conditions of this race changed ?

Yep, used to be a handicap....

[Faugheen_Machine]

There's no chance Rivage D'or goes off favourite for this Ghandi - he'll probably be a bigger price than last year.