The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase is a National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Cross-Country Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 5½ furlongs (3 miles 5 furlongs and 56 yards, or 5,885 metres), and during its running there are thirty-two obstacles to be cleared. It was originally run as a handicap race before being changed to a conditions race from the 2016 running, and it is scheduled to take place each year on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival in March. In 2025, the race reverted to being run as a handicap.
The event was established when a fourth day was added to the Cheltenham Festival in 2005. It is now one of three cross-country chases held at Cheltenham – the others take place in November and December. All three were originally sponsored by Sporting Index, and in the 2007–08 season they were backed by BGC. The whisky distillery Glenfarclas began supporting the series in 2008–09.
Records Most successful horse (3 wins): Tiger Roll - 2018, 2019, 2021
Leading jockey (5 wins): Keith Donoghue - Tiger Roll (2018, 2019, 2021), Delta Work (2023), Stumptown (2025)
Leading trainer (5 wins): Enda Bolger – Spot Thedifference (2005), Heads Onthe Ground (2007), Garde Champetre (2008, 2009), Josies Orders (2016) Gordon Elliott- Cause of Causes (2017), Tiger Roll (2018, 2019), Delta Work (2022, 2023)
Winners Weights given in stones and pounds. Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer 2005 Spot Thedifference 12 11–12 JT McNamara Enda Bolger 2006 Native Jack 12 10-08 Davy Russell Philip Rothwell 2007 Heads Onthe Ground 10 10-02 Nina Carberry Enda Bolger 2008 Garde Champetre 9 10–13 Nina Carberry Enda Bolger 2009 Garde Champetre 10 11–12 Nina Carberry Enda Bolger 2010 A New Story 12 09-07 Adrian Heskin Michael Hourigan 2011 Sizing Australia 9 10-09 Andrew Lynch Henry De Bromhead 2012 Balthazar King 8 10-09 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs 2013 Big Shu 8 10-05 Barry Cash Peter Maher 2014 Balthazar King 10 11–12 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs 2015 Rivage d'Or 10 10-10 Davy Russell Tony Martin 2016 Josies Orders 8 11-04 Nina Carberry Enda Bolger 2017 Cause of Causes 9 11-04 Jamie Codd Gordon Elliott 2018 Tiger Roll 8 11-04 Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott 2019 Tiger Roll 9 11-04 Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott 2020 Easysland 6 11-04 Jonathan Plouganou David Cottin 2021 Tiger Roll 11 11-04 Keith Donoghue Denise Foster 2022 Delta Work 9 11-04 Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott 2023 Delta Work 10 11-07 Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott 2022 no race 2024 2025 Stumptown 8 11-10 Keith Donoghue Gavin Cromwell 2026 Final Orders 10 10-09 Conor Stone-Walsh Gavin Cromwell
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races Recurring sporting events established in 2005 – included under its original title, Sporting Index Cross Country H'cap Chase.
References
Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
pedigreequery.com – Cross Country Chase – Cheltenham. racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (21 February 2008).