2026 Glenfarclas Chase Preview – Can Stumptown Retain His Title? All The Runners, Odds and Predictions

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase has become one of the defining sights of the Wednesday at Cheltenham, and the 2026 renewal looks like a classic specialist’s puzzle.

Fourteen runners will face 3m5½f of twists, banks, and ditches on March 11 at 3:20pm, with only those truly at home over the unique cross-country course likely to be involved when they straighten for home.

This year’s race has a familiar shape. Stumptown, last year’s winner, returns as the standard-setter, now with a Velka Pardubicka on his CV, while Favori De Champdou edges favouritism after a rapid rise through the cross-country ranks.

Behind them sits a deep support cast featuring Irish staying chasers, proven Festival performers, and a few who still have it all to prove over these obstacles.

What Makes the Glenfarclas Different

Even at the Cheltenham Festival, where every race is competitive, the Glenfarclas Cross Country stands apart.

Run over 31 varied obstacles on the infield, the race tests agility and accuracy as much as raw stamina, with horses switching ground, crossing banks, and negotiating tight turns before joining the conventional chase track for the run-in.

The conditions this year add another layer. The going is described as good to soft, about ideal for most proven cross-country types, taking the edge off the speed without turning it into a slog.

These conditions reward repeat visitors. Many horses need at least one or two spins around the track to fully understand the layout, and that depth of course knowledge is one of the reasons returning winners and placed horses so often feature again.

Stumptown: Built for the Job

Stumptown heads the weights off a mark of 162 and feels very much like the horse this race was made for. He is second in the betting markets with most bookmakers so odds are short. That said, there are plenty of offers available with free bet breakdowns available so if you look around you can really maximise your chances this week.

Trained by Gavin Cromwell and ridden again by Keith Donoghue, he comes into the race with incredible form, including his authoritative success in this contest twelve months ago and another cross-country win at Cheltenham in December 2024.

Last year, Stumptown carried 11st 10lb to beat Latenightpass by seven lengths over this course and distance, travelling strongly and using his jumping to gain ground at key points.

Since then, he has gone on to make history in the Velka Pardubicka, becoming the first Irish-trained winner of that famously demanding Pardubice marathon, another race that rewards balance and bravery over unconventional obstacles.

That Velka success underlines his profile. Few horses combine proven Cheltenham cross-country form with a win over the daunting Czech course, and it suggests he has both the mental resilience and physical scope to cope with whatever this race throws at him.

The one blot in the copybook since last year’s Festival was a pulled-up effort in the 2025 Grand National, but back at intermediate marathon trips and over specialist fences, he looks in his element.

From a handicapping perspective, top weight is no gift, yet he has already shown he can concede weight around here. With Donoghue’s experience over these fences and Cromwell clearly targeting this race again, Stumptown is an obvious cornerstone for any preview and, if he runs to his established cross-country level, the horse they all have to beat.

Favori De Champdou: The New Cross-Country Star

If Stumptown is the established yardstick, Favori De Champdou is the rising force in the discipline. The Gigginstown-owned eleven-year-old represents Gordon Elliott, a trainer with a rich cross-country record, and arrives on the back of a pair of confidence-boosting wins.

He announced himself in this sphere with a wide-margin victory in the January Glenfarclas cross-country handicap at Cheltenham, carrying 12st and stretching clear by 8½ lengths.

That came on the back of a shock 66/1 win in a big staying handicap at Leopardstown over Christmas, confirming that he retains plenty of ability and stays thoroughly.

The fall in December’s cross-country contest here is the only major negative. He now returns to the Festival off 11st 5lb from a mark of 157, slightly better off than in January, and Jack Kennedy is back on board to provide a calm, experienced hand.

The market has him as a narrow favourite ahead of Stumptown, but the margins are small, reflecting how finely balanced their claims appear.

Favori De Champdou is only in his first full season of cross-country racing, whereas Stumptown feels battle-hardened in this exact niche, which might tell late on if the tempo lifts turning for home.

The Cromwell Battalion Behind the Favourite

Trainer Gavin Cromwell does not rely solely on Stumptown. He also fields Final Orders and Vanillier, both of whom bring interesting back stories and a touch of class to the race.

Final Orders runs off 147 with 10st 9lb and has already shown he handles the track, having won the December 2025 cross-country handicap here before finishing fifth, beaten sixteen lengths, behind Favori De Champdou in January.

He shaped as though a stronger gallop might suit, and with a lighter weight in this limited handicap, he appeals as one who could run better than his current odds.

Vanillier, winner of the 2021 Albert Bartlett and a Grand National runner-up, adds real staying depth. Now on 145 with 10st 7lb, he arrives after winning over 3m1f at Punchestown in February and finishing third in a Haydock staying handicap over Christmas, suggesting his engine remains strong.

Elliott’s Supporting Cast and Other Dangers

Elliott’s team does not end with Favori De Champdou. Conflated, Pied Piper and The Goffer all line up for the Cullentra yard, giving the trainer four chances to land another Festival success in this race.

Conflated, formerly a top-level chaser, has been reinvented with runs in points and a recent third to Vanillier at Punchestown.

Pied Piper, better known as a high-class hurdler and novice chaser, has course experience from a novice chase second here, but the banks track still represents something of an unknown.

The Goffer, meanwhile, has quietly built a cross-country résumé through points and staying chases, finishing close behind Desertmore House and Vanillier at Punchestown in November and February.

Beyond the big two yards, Desertmore House merits serious respect for Martin Brassil. He impressed when beating The Goffer decisively at Punchestown in November, and his profile screams thorough stayer.

Latenightpass, runner-up to Stumptown in last year’s renewal, returns from a higher mark and with a patchy season behind him. However, his proven course-and-distance form and partnership with Gina Andrews mean he cannot be dismissed entirely if he rediscovers his rhythm.

Is It Stumptown’s To Lose?

The 2026 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase looks like a clash between a proven specialist and an improving rival still learning the game.

Favori De Champdou arrives as the narrow market leader, but Stumptown’s track record and his Velka Pardubicka triumph mark him down as the horse most naturally suited to this unusual test.

Behind them, a cluster of seasoned stayers and cross-country converts wait to pounce if the big two falter, adding depth to what should again be one of the most absorbing races of the week.

However it plays out, the sight of these hardened chasers threading their way across the infield before driving up the hill will once more underline why this race has earned its place as a Festival staple.