You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Cross Country Chase Preview
The marmite race of the festival is the Cross Country Chase, which was introduced in 2005. The race is run over a trip slightly further than three miles and six furlongs with thirty-two various obstacles to be negotiated. In 2016, it became a conditions event as opposed to its initial handicap status from inception in 2005, but in 2025, the race was switched to a Limited Handicap.
This race isn't just about jumping; it’s about agility and knowing the way. The course is a maze of twists and turns. Horses must navigate the "Cheese Wedge," the "Taxodium," and the daunting "Live Bank". Dual Aintree Grand National winner Tiger Roll won this race in 2018 & 2019 before his Grand National double, and also returned to win it in 2021 and was runner-up in 2022 on his last visit to a racecourse before being retired.
This is very much a specialist race with old favourites running here on multiple occasions. A New Story ran in the race on six consecutive occasions, and other frequent runners included Garde Champetre, Sizing Australia and Any Currency. Spotthedifference won the inaugural cross country chase, then finished runner-up in 2006 and fourth in 2007. Upon his retirement, he had won on seven occasions over the cross-country fences at Cheltenham!
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Cross Country Chase will hold the title of 'Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase'.
Master the Cross Country Chase with our expert analysis of past race data and trainer records, and enhance your betting strategy with our selection of Cheltenham free bets.
Cross Country Chase Information:
- Cross Country Chase Past Winners
- Cross Country Chase Trainer Statistics
- Cross Country Chase Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Cheltenham tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. We cover every race at the Cheltenham Festival, and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Cross Country Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2005, when the race had an over-round of 119%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 137%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Cross Country Chase, the over-round has been 125%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £125 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Cross Country Chase Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Cross Country Chase Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Cross Country Chase Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Cross Country Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Balthazar King (7:51.70) in 2012
- Sizing Australia (8:06.22) in 2011
- Josies Orders (8:11.00) in 2016
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Cross Country Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 5 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +15.25. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Cross Country Chase, see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 7:51.70 was set by Balthazar King in 2012, trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2020 when Easysland won in a time of 9:09.60 for trainer D Cottin, who booked Jonathan Plouganou in the saddle.
Cross Country Chase Past Winners
Here are the Cross Country Chase past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse that won, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Cross Country Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The race was abandoned in 2024 due to the cross-country course being waterlogged.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 8:25.54 | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo 11-10 5/2F | Keith Donoghue Gavin Cromwell (IRE) |
| 2023 8:39.40 | Delta Work (FR) 10yo 11-7 11/10F | Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2022 9:08.68 | Delta Work (FR) 9yo 11-4 5/2F | Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2021 8:42.65 | Tiger Roll (IRE) 11yo 11-4 9/2 | Keith Donoghue Mrs Denise Foster (IRE) |
| 2020 9:09.60 | Easysland (FR) 6yo 11-4 3/1 | Jonathan Plouganou D Cottin (FR) |
| 2019 8:27.28 | Tiger Roll (IRE) 9yo 11-4 5/4F | Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2018 8:51.60 | Tiger Roll (IRE) 8yo 11-4 7/1 | Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2017 8:12.30 | Cause Of Causes (USA) 9yo 11-4 4/1 | Mr J J Codd Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2016 8:11.00 | Josies Orders (IRE) 8yo 11-4 15/8F | Ms N Carberry E Bolger (IRE) |
| 2015 8:23.80 | Rivage DOr (FR) 10yo 10-10 16/1 | Davy Russell A J Martin (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Cross Country Chase have been based:
- IRE: 17 winners with an additional 37 placings from 164 runners
- GB: 2 winners with an additional 10 placings from 126 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 4 placings from 23 runners
2025 Cross Country Chase Replay
Cross Country Chase Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Cross Country Chase over the last 20 renewals, with both E Bolger and Gordon Elliott, who have both won the race five times. E Bolger winners have been with Spot Thedifference (2005), Heads Onthe Ground (2007), Garde Champetre (2008 & 2009) and Josies Orders (2016). Gordon Elliott winners have been with Cause Of Causes (2017), Tiger Roll (2018 & 2019) and Delta Work (2022 & 2023).
Here are the Cross Country Chase trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| E Bolger | 47-5-16 | -26.12 | -17.70 |
| Gordon Elliott | 26-5-13 | -5.15 | -3.08 |
| Gavin Cromwell | 2-1-2 | +1.50 | +2.00 |
| T Ellis | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.88 |
| John C McConnell | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.35 |
| Martin Brassil | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Nicky Richards | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
Cross Country Chase Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Cross Country Chase over the last 20 renewals is Keith Donoghue, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Tiger Roll (2018, 2019 & 2021), Delta Work (2023) and Stumptown (2025).
Here are the Cross Country Chase jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Donoghue (Stumptown) | 7-5-6 | +14.35 | +7.63 |
| Jack Kennedy (Favori De Champdou) | 1-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.25 |
| Darragh O'Keeffe (Fakir dOudairies) | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -3.50 |
| Sean Flanagan (Vanillier) | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.56 |
| Gavin Sheehan (Velvet Elvis) | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| Sean Quinlan (Famous Bridge) | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Miss Gina Andrews (Latenightpass) | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.88 |
| James Best (Minella Crooner) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Ricky Doyle (Desertmore House) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Danny Gilligan (Conflated) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2026 Cross Country Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): F, (1, 6), 1, 6, 2, 5, 4, PU, 7, 3, RO, 1, 3, 3, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (61%) - Within the first 9 of the market
- 20 / 20 (65%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Not BB/CH/GR in colour
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 122+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - No more than +4yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - No bigger than 66/1 (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran over 2m5f - 4m2½f (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved an RPR of 134+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Furthest Won 2m6f - 4m2½f
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 25/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran in 3 - 11 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran over 1m3f - 2m6½f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Is not GB/GER bred
- 19 / 20 (75%) - Achieved an RPR of 90+ (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (76%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Career Place)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Cross Country Chase. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Cross Country Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Cross Country Chase Trend Shortlist
Cheltenham will host the 2026 renewal of the Cross Country Chase, which will be run at 3:20 pm on Wednesday, 11th March 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Stumptown (11/4)
- Gavin Cromwell (2-1-2 +1.50 / +2.00)
- Keith Donoghue (7-5-6 +14.35 / +7.63)
- 15/15 The Goffer (14/1)
- Gordon Elliott (26-5-13 -5.15 / -3.08)
- Josh Williamson (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
Others: Favori De Champdou (14/15), Conflated (14/15), Vanillier (14/15), Famous Bridge (13/15), Final Orders (12/15), Desertmore House (11/15), Fakir dOudairies (11/15), Pied Piper (10/15), Velvet Elvis (10/15), Latenightpass (9/15), Minella Crooner (9/15) and Horantzau dAiry (8/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (2:00 pm Monday 9th March 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Favori De Champdou won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase last time out, and a total of 4 previous winners of that race from a total of 16 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of +3.00.
Cross Country Chase Trend Analysis
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners wore cheekpieces, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-53.
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Cross Country Chase are Cheltenham and Navan; there have been a total of 6 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 305 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 8 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Cross Country Chase:
- Authorized (3 Wins)
- Be My Native (2 Wins)
- Garde Royale (2 Wins)
- Kings Theatre (2 Wins)
- Milan (2 Wins)
- Network (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Cross Country Chase despite multiple attempts:
- Saddlers Hall (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Winged Love (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Anshan (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Presenting (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Glacial Storm (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was A New Story in 2010, winning for Michael Hourigan at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of A P Heskin. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 7 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Cross Country Chase, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the Cross Country Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Cross Country Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Stumptown Cheltenham - 1st of 15 (4/1) | Crystal Cup Cross Country Chase |
| 2023 - Delta Work Navan - 6th of 8 (9/1) | William Hill Boyne Hurdle |
| 2022 - Delta Work Leopardstown - 6th of 8 (12/1) | Irish Gold Cup |
| 2021 - Tiger Roll Navan - 6th of 6 (11/1) | Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle |
| 2020 - Easysland Pau - 1st of 12 (7/5) | Grand Cross De Pau Reverdy |
| 2019 - Tiger Roll Navan - 1st of 6 (25/1) | Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle |
| 2018 - Tiger Roll Cheltenham - 5th of 9 (7/1) | Crystal Cup Cross Country Chase |
| 2017 - Cause Of Causes Cheltenham - 5th of 10 (6/1) | Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase |
| 2016 - Josies Orders Navan - 9th of 12 (10/1) | Davis Civil Engineering Handicap Hurdle |
| 2015 - Rivage DOr Galway - F of 20 (12/1) | Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival
Prepare for the ROAR of the Cheltenham Festival on the opening day, when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle. The feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Jango Baie (FR) 6yo - 5/1 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Puturhandstogether (IRE) 4yo - 17/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Myretown (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo - 25/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo - 7/2 | Rebecca Curtis Ben Jones |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival
The dust has settled on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and now on to day two. The feature on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. We also have the cross country scheduled on Wednesday, a race like Marmite, some love it, and some don't!
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Turners Novices Hurdle | The New Lion (GB) 6yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Lecky Watson (IRE) 7yo - 20/1 | W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe |
| 14:40 Cheltenham BetMGM Cup | Jimmy Du Seuil (FR) 6yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo - 5/2 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 5/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Jazzy Matty (FR) 6yo - 15/2 | Cian Collins Danny Gilligan |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 4/1 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
Schedule for Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival
Halfway through the festival and onto day three, where the Stayers Hurdle is the feature race. A hurdle race to test the stamina and see how can last up the Cheltenham hill.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Mares Novices Hurdle | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 6yo - 16/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 7/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Bob Olinger (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Fact To File (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Doddiethegreat (IRE) 9yo - 25/1 | Nicky Henderson Brian Hughes |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Daily Present (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Paul Nolan Mr B T Stone |
Schedule for Friday at the Cheltenham Festival
The final day of the festival and the feature race that we have all been waiting for, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Irish have been fairly dominant in recent years.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle | Poniros (GB) 4yo - 100/1 | W P Mullins Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Kargese (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 6/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 7yo - 15/2 | Gavin Cromwell Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Wonderwall (IRE) 9yo - 28/1 | S Curling Mr R James |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 5yo - 9/2 | Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Cross Country Chase Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Cheltenham Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Cheltenham racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in January (Festival Trials Day)
- Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase
- Classic Novices' Hurdle
- Cleeve Hurdle
- Cotswold Chase
- International Hurdle
- JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial
- Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase
Races in January
Races in April
Races in October (Showcase Meeting)
Races in November (November Meeting)
- Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
- Hyde Novices' Hurdle
- Shloer Chase
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
- JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
- Paddy Power Gold Cup
- Greatwood Hurdle
- November Meeting Handicap Chase
