Stumptown (Keith Donoghue) leading over the banks at Punchestown© Photo Healy Racing
Stumptown bids to make a triumphant return to Cheltenham in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup on Friday.
Gavin Cromwell’s charge has a fine record at Prestbury Park, with four course starts yielding a New Year’s Day victory and two placed finishes, including a neck defeat to Angels Dawn in the Kim Muir at the 2023 Festival.
The seven-year-old has recently had his attentions turned to the cross-country sphere and the switch appears to have had the desired effect as he has won his last two starts at Punchestown.
Cromwell is hoping Stumptown can carry that form over to the cross-country circuit in the Cotswolds.
“He’s obviously very effective around Punchestown. Cheltenham is a different task, but hopefully he’ll take to it well,” he said.
“Hopefully he’ll be competitive. He seems in good form.”
Cromwell has an interesting second string to his bow in Vanillier, who won the 2021 Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham and is perhaps best known for finishing second to Corach Rambler in the 2023 Grand National.
He was pulled up over the regulation fences at Cheltenham in October, but fared better when sixth behind Stumptown on his cross-country debut last month.
Cromwell added: “Vanillier ran well the last day on his first attempt at it. Hopefully he can build on that and be competitive.
“He was disappointing on his first start of the season around Cheltenham, but he definitely ran better the last day, so fingers crossed.”
Gigginstown House Stud are responsible for the two at the top of the weights, with Gordon Elliott saddling both Delta Work and Coko Beach.
Delta Work has twice won the Glenfarclas Chase at the Festival and reverts to the cross-country route after finishing last of five in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, while Coko Beach was fifth behind Stumptown last time out.
Gigginstown’s Eddie O’Leary has bemoaned the fact the Festival cross-country race will be a handicap this season and feels both horses face a tough task on this occasion.
“As ever they’ve a massive job with those weights, hence why the Festival race should be a conditions race, but there you go,” he said.
“The Festival is meant to be about good horses and that’s why they’ve ruined this race.”
Elliott has also declared Chemical Energy, Gevrey and The Goffer, while other contenders include David Cottin’s French challenger Iceo Madrik, Nicky Henderson’s Mister Coffey and the Tom Ellis-trained Latenightpass.
