Cross Country Chase Odds: Former Gold Cup hero heads the betting

There’s a change of pace on Wednesday afternoon at the Cheltenham Festival, with the three-mile, five-and-a-half-furlong Cross Country Chase. Introduced in 2005, the racecourse has 32 obstacles for the horses to navigate, the majority of which are in the centre before finishing up the Cheltenham hill.

Former winners include Tiger Roll, who won the race three times, and his trainer Gordon Elliott, who has won it six times. We take a look at the Cross Country Chase odds ahead of Wednesday’s renewal, which will have a PRICE BOOST at 11:00 on Wednesday, 13 March.

Minella Indo @ 15/8

Former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo heads the betting at odds of 15/8. Trained by Henry de Bromhead, the 11-year-old was a victor in the 2021 Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival and runner-up in the same race a year later.

He pulled up in last season’s Gold Cup and has been dropped in class this season to contest the Cross Country Chase.

The horse had a look at these fences back in December, finishing fourth off top-weight and off level weights here. He’s an obvious threat.

Delta Work @ 5/2

Delta Work, the winner of the race for the last two years, is next in the betting at odds of 5/2 with Betfred.

The Gordon Elliott-trained gelding broke the heart of Tiger Roll backers in the 2022 renewal before backing that win up here 12 months ago, winning the race by two and a half lengths when sent off as the 11/10 favourite.

He went on to unseat his rider in the 2023 Grand National and is winless in three starts this, including behind Minella Indo in a Grade 3 at Punchestown in the Autumn. 

Coko Beach @ 4/1

Gordon Elliott also saddles third-favourite Coko Beach, who won the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan in November and also last time out, winning over the bank course at Punchestown in the big Cross Country race at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Although he is still only nine years old, he has an entry in the Grand National, like a few others in this field!

Galvin @ 5/1

One of those Grand National entries is next in the betting here. Galvin, (another) trained by Gordon Elliott, is half the price of his stablemate for the National but a smidge bigger here off level weights.

Second in this race 12 months ago, the 10-year-old has a good pedigree at Cheltenham, having won the National Hunt Chase and two second-place finishes.

He’s not set the world alight so far this season, with figures of 8th, 5th and 4th, two of which were over the cross country course in the Autumn. 

Foxy Jacks @ 16/1

Unseated in the race last year, Foxy Jacks is the entry of Irish-based trainer Mouse Morris. The 16/1 chance got off the mark at the course at the November meeting, winning the Cross Country, which included Delta Work (6th) and Galvin (8th), amongst others entered on Wednesday.

Stattler @ 16/1

The Willie Mullins-trained Stattler is next in the betting at 16/1. The nine-year-old finished fourth in the P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase behind Coko Beach at the Dublin Racing Festival last time out but does have some Festival pedigree, having finished fourth in an Albert Bartlett and the National Hunt Chase winner in 2022. 

Fameaftertheglory @ 50/1

Gavin Cromwell saddles 50/1 shot Fameaftertheglory who finished third here in the Cross Country at December’s meeting. Yet to win over fences in six attempts, he was third in the P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country at Punchestown last time out.

Francky Du Berlais @ 66/1

66/1 chance Francky Du Berlais ran in both of the first two Cross Country contests at Cheltenham this season, finishing fourth behind Foxy Jacks in November and second in December.

Diesel D’Allier @ 80/1

This will be Diesel D’Allier’s 10th run at Cheltenham in a Cross Country but only his fourth time at the Festival in this race, having pulled up last year and fourth in 2022 and 2021. Richard Bandey trains the ten-year-old who had a freshener at Plumpton on his last start and is an outsider here.

Didero Vallis @ 100/1

Venetia Williams saddles the veteran Didero Vallis, who has run 46 times over rules. He was third in the Cross Country here in November.

Bodhisattva @ 125/1

The baby of the field at seven-years-old, Bodhisattva has his first run in a Cross Country for trainer John McConnel.

Streets Of Doyen @ 125/1

Streets Of Doyen hasn’t run since September and seems worthy of his big price based on the form book.

Find more Cheltenham Tips here at Betfred Insights.