Cheltenham decided to postpone the cross-country race at the Open meeting in November until Trials Day in January, as a result of the prevailing fast ground on a circuit which is, by its very nature, extremely difficult to water to any great effect.
They can’t run two cross-country events on Trials Day, however, and the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase, a handicap on today’s card, will go ahead as scheduled with just seven runners going to post following the scratching of Auvergnat, the likely second favourite. It is not a historically low turnout for this race – there were seven runner two years ago, although that was staged as a conditions event – but it will not quite offer the spectacle that fans of this unusual circuit like to see.
This is probably not the time or place to consider the wisdom of running any jumps race, never mind an event that extends to nearly four miles at one of the sport’s most high-profile venues, on ground with firm patches. It is not just today’s card that Cheltenham need to consider, but also the fact that there is a cross-country event at the Festival, and cancelling another race on this course due to the ground could be seen to set a precedent if the unusually dry autumn extends into the spring.
The last time that a race was staged over the cross-country course on ground as quick as today’s, however, was at the Festival in 2012, when two much-loved veterans of this discipline - Garde Champetre and Scotsirish – both suffered fatal injuries while galloping between obstacles.
I’m quite fond of the cross-country course from a punting point of view because it breeds specialists – I’m a big fan of the Fibresand surface at Southwell for the same reason – but at the same time, there could come a point when a course that cannot guarantee at least good-to-firm going may no longer be fit for purpose. Hopefully, that will not be this afternoon, but in the absence of Auvergnat, this looks like a race to leave alone, with fingers firmly crossed.
There are several other very competitive races on the card, after all, including a handicap chase at 1.30 in which the betting is currently 6-1 the field.
Out Sam is the market leader, and his course form reads well as he staged an impressive rally from an unpromising position to finish seventh in a valuable handicap at the Festival earlier this year. He has also been pitched into Grade One company a couple of times in his career already, but like several of his opponents, his jumping can be a little guessy at times.
Southfield Theatre (1.30) also makes the odd mistake – in fact, he fell at the last when poised to win his most recent start – but his earlier fourth place finish in the Bet365 Gold Cup on good ground at Sandown is very solid form and he makes more appeal at the prices.
Whatduhavtoget (3.15) makes his handicap debut later on the card from what could prove to be a very generous mark of 125.
He took a point-to-point in Ireland before joining Dan Skelton’s stable, and won his debut for the yard by 13 lengths at Uttoxeter before going down by just five lengths behind La Bague Au Roi at Wetherby in November. La Bague Au Roi has since followed up in a Listed event at Newbury on Hennessy day and Whatduhavtoget is a very attractive bet at around 100-30 to make a successful start in handicaps.
Laurium (12.20) and Yes I Did (12.55) also appeal on the Cheltenham card, while Report To Base (2.25) could offer some value against Kayf Grace when last season’s winner of the Aintree mares’ bumper makes her hurdling debut at Bangor.
