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2026 Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase (A Limited Handicap)

Connections fear Favori De Champdou’s impressive cross-country victory on Trials day could hinder his chances of following up in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.

Gordon Elliott’s 11-year-old is the general second-favourite behind defending champion Stumptown for the Cheltenham Festival’s most unique contest after bolting up by a cosy eight and a half lengths in late January.

However, he was handed a hefty rise from the handicapper for that performance, which leaves Eddie O’Leary of Gigginstown House stud questioning whether Favori De Champdou can add to the owners’ stellar record in this race and one they won three times with the incomparable Tiger Roll.

O’Leary said: “He was great on Trials day, but you just hope that hasn’t cost him his chance as he got 8lb for it.

“That’s a big whack and has taken the wind out of his sails a little bit. It’s a massive hit for a horse who has always worn his heart on his sleeve.”

While Favori De Champdou may be burdened by near top-weight in a race which was switched back to a handicap for the first time in 10 years 12 months ago, Gigginstown will also field former Gold Cup third Conflated.

Although now at the tail-end of his Grade One-winning career, the 12-year-old gave a bold bid when not beaten far into third at Punchestown recently and the 20-1 chance heads to the Cotswolds off his lowest mark since 2021.

O’Leary added: “You would like to think Favori De Champdou still goes there with some sort of a chance, but because of his rise, Conflated will have a nice racing weight out of the two of them.

“I don’t know if you could class Conflated as a forgotten horse, but he enjoys that discipline and the better the ground the better his chance will be.”
 
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Has anyone heard anything out of Elliott’s with regards to Pied Piper running? He’d have had to come across for a school at some point too.

If he has and he’s an intended runner, I think the race could really suit him, and his big price is very tempting.
 
Spectre said:
Has anyone heard anything out of Elliott’s with regards to Pied Piper running? He’d have had to come across for a school at some point too.

If he has and he’s an intended runner, I think the race could really suit him, and his big price is very tempting.
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Elliott had included him in one of his four for this - have been including him in each way multiples since so hopefully his pronouncement is the truth
 

O'Leary on Favori De Champdou and Conflated in the Cross Country...​

"Favori De Champdou probably left his race behind the last day. He got an 8lb hike which for an 11-year-old is fairly hard. So his obvious chance is probably gone.

"He loves that discipline but once again, unfortunately, they've made this race a handicap. Whereas, in the years up to this, the Cross Country was a brilliant race - you had a handicap in November, a handicap in December, and at the Festival a conditions race to bring on the best horses.

"Now they changed that and made it a bloody handicap again when it was a conditions race. When it was a handicap originally, it was dying on the feet. Then they made it a conditions race and there were some fantastic stories going into the Grand National. And they've all stopped now it's gone back to a handicap.

"I'd rather a horse like Conflated, who was a proper horse, getting a lot of weight off them.

"The better the ground, the better his chance, and he seems to love this discipline. This discipline saved Tiger Roll, this has saved a lot of good older horses, and hopefully Conflated seems to have taken to it very, very well.
 
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Ouch. Didn't realise FDC got that much !
 
Lobos said:
Ouch. Didn't realise FDC got that much !
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Yep, an 11yr old who ran off 142 (and fell early) back in December in the race Final Orders won easily on good ground.
 
Eggs said:

O'Leary on Favori De Champdou and Conflated in the Cross Country...​

"Favori De Champdou probably left his race behind the last day. He got an 8lb hike which for an 11-year-old is fairly hard. So his obvious chance is probably gone.

"He loves that discipline but once again, unfortunately, they've made this race a handicap. Whereas, in the years up to this, the Cross Country was a brilliant race - you had a handicap in November, a handicap in December, and at the Festival a conditions race to bring on the best horses.

"Now they changed that and made it a bloody handicap again when it was a conditions race. When it was a handicap originally, it was dying on the feet. Then they made it a conditions race and there were some fantastic stories going into the Grand National. And they've all stopped now it's gone back to a handicap.

"I'd rather a horse like Conflated, who was a proper horse, getting a lot of weight off them.

"The better the ground, the better his chance, and he seems to love this discipline. This discipline saved Tiger Roll, this has saved a lot of good older horses, and hopefully Conflated seems to have taken to it very, very well.
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Sounds a positive for conflated
 
Pisto said:
Sounds a positive for conflated
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At no stage in his career has Conflated ever given any evidence he stays a yard further than 3m, the Punchestown banks races are 3m only and he doesn't see them out, he was out on his feet in a Gold Cup, PU in the National a mile from home and in his sole attempt at this C&D he was tailed off a long way.
One positive for him would be better ground but I still couldn't have him...
 
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I'm with you on that one Ista
 
Istabraq said:
At no stage in his career has Conflated ever given any evidence he stays a yard further than 3m, the Punchestown banks races are 3m only and he doesn't see them out, he was out on his feet in a Gold Cup, PU in the National a mile from home and in his sole attempt at this C&D he was tailed off a long way.
One positive for him would be better ground but I still couldn't have him...
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I’ll take the ground positive! I just feel there’s some reason Gordy is sending him here when the trip has stretched him before
 
Stumptown shortening all the time here, saw some 5.9 a few days ago, last matched at 4.
Hope a few of you pressed at the bigger prices, I of course did not...
 
Istabraq said:
Stumptown shortening all the time here, saw some 5.9 a few days ago, last matched at 4.
Hope a few of you pressed at the bigger prices, I of course did not...
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Even with the drying ground it looks big doesn't it. Class act in race. Best jockey. Unbeaten in XC races apart from 1 which he was impeded early and unseated. Hell surely go off fav?
 
Lobos said:
Even with the drying ground it looks big doesn't it. Class act in race. Best jockey. Unbeaten in XC races apart from 1 which he was impeded early and unseated. Hell surely go off fav?
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This could be a correction of the plunge on Favori, and a reaction to O'leary's comments yesterday, but either way Stumptown is the king in this sphere and even though it's now a handicap it's hard to imagine him not going close....
 
Lobos said:
Even with the drying ground it looks big doesn't it. Class act in race. Best jockey. Unbeaten in XC races apart from 1 which he was impeded early and unseated. Hell surely go off fav?
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Hills pushed him to 7/2. If he’d had a run and Cromwell was remotely in form this year I’d be all over the thievery each way doubles. Too short for me given my two prior points, though agree he’s a solid chance.
 
…..I’ve had a little interest in Horantzau D’airy @ 66-1 NRNB before tomorrow’s decs. Last year he was contesting valuable handicaps for W Mullins and finished 13th in Grand National.

I saw an interview with Stuart Edmunds and he mentioned this fella in respect of Kim Muir, which he was taken out of last week. Edmunds has trained a festival winner, said HD bleeds so they’ve barely got him out of a gallop but the best time to catch him is when he’s fresh. A little surprised to see him entered, might not get declared but he is ‘jocked-up’ in lists.

Not sure how the weights pan out but he ran off 147 in GN and gets in here off 139.
 
I'm interested to see Fakir D'Oudaries in this with Darragh O'Keeffe jocked up. Could be gone at the game at 11, but the favourite is the same age .Has a massive swing at the weights with Stumptown from the 1 time he ran over the course, over a year ago on his 1st go over a cross country chase.
JP loves a winner of this, now trained by a master in this discipine after moving from JOB. Had a pipe opener last month after a long break, might outrun 25/1 odds.
 
Anybody else had their Final Orders WTAF from back in December settled as a loser? With Hills.
 
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One day Vanillier will be close enough that when he makes up 15 lengths on the run in it's to win not to place
 
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