Stumptown (5-2 Jt-Favourite) defied top-weight of 11st 10lbs to land today’s Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. Partnered by Keith Donoghue, the eight-year-old had won on his previous start over the unique course in December and today was the comfortable seven-length winner from Latenightpass.
Gavin Cromwell said: “I was very concerned for a while to be honest, but he has ended up running out a good winner in the end. I don’t think Keith thought he was at his best either, but listen we will take it anyway.
“I don’t have an explanation (why he didn’t travel) as well today, but we got away with it and he won. The cheekpieces just helped him at the finish, but he has thrived over these fences.
“Keith is definitely worth a few pounds around here. He is an ultra professional and there is no stone unturned with him.
“He is in the Grand National and we will aim him at it, but it is coming soon enough. All being well he will go there.
“Vanillier went wide early on and that definitely didn’t help his cause. He lost a lot of ground as he jumped the fence making the running and came out of it with only one or two behind him.
“He is in the Grand National as well and I think he should get in and the plan is to go there with him.
“That was on nice ground. There is a lot of twisting and turning out there and does that take it as much out of them as a normal handicap chase where it is end-to-end stuff.
“The horses ran well yesterday, but I’m happy now we have a winner and that takes a weight off my shoulders.”
Keith Donoghue, enjoying his fifth win in this race, said: “I’m riding for the right people, for Gordon before and Gavin now. When you’re riding this calibre of horse, it makes it easier.
“I was only ever hanging in there. He didn’t jump as well as he could. Ground is probably a bit soft for him. But he stays well and I knew going to the last, I could feel him getting going and that he was never going to be beat.
“He really likes these fences. I was glad we put the cheekpieces on him today.”
On why he is such a specialist over this track, he said: “I grew up hunting with the Ward Union, and it all comes back to that.”
Gavin Cromwell – 7 Festival wins
Keith Donoghue – 6 Festival wins
Tom Ellis, trainer of runner-up Latenightpass, said: “I thought, jumping the barrels, he was going better than anything. I could see Keith was off the bridle and you dare to dream. He’s 12, he’s not getting any better, but he’s so good round there. He’s like a cat over those banks; he just makes ground up and that helps him so much in his races. I’m not surprised he ran like that, to be honest. I fancied him coming here today - we’d sort of been building to this from Aintree last year, to be honest, and it was always our plan. Ascot didn’t go to plan - Gina came off him at the first, an uncharacteristic mistake, but in hindsight it helped us out because it meant he was really fresh for today. He’s been round there four times now and he hasn’t been out of the first three. We brought him down a week ago Friday for a school, and it just lights him up instantly - he absolutely loves it, and stands there afterwards like he owns the place. He’s such a funny little character, he really is.
“He’s such an honest horse. We might go to Paris with him now for the Grand Steep. No lady has ever ridden in it - I don’t think an amateur has ever ridden in it, either, from what David Maxwell was telling me, and I think we probably will go there. I think he’d take to it - I can’t see why he wouldn’t. He’s getting on in his years so we may as well have a go.
“He’s like a part of the family. He was born on the farm, he’s so easy to deal with - he’s a horse of a lifetime for us. I watched him being born, and I’ve done everything with him with Gina and Jack since that point. For us, it feels like we’ve won. I think it speaks volumes for our system and for the people we’ve got around us, to get him to this point.”
Jockey Gina Andrews added: : “He’s fantastic. He jumped superbly again and gave his all."
