Dual Cross Country Chase hero Delta Work and current ante-post favourite Stumptown feature among the list of 31 horses entered for the 2025 contest, which will be run as a handicap at this year’s festival on Wednesday 12th March. We take at the possible runners for what is a unique spectacle at the National Hunt extravaganza.
Having denied Tiger Roll of victory when storming home to claim victory in the 2022 Cross Country Chase, Gordon Elliott’s Delta Work then retained his crown in 2023 when getting the better of stablemate Galvin. Denied the chance of winning a third Cross Country Chase on the bounce when the contest was abandoned at last year’s festival, the veteran, who finished runner-up in the Grand National, is back for another crack at the race.
Recent domination by the likes of Delta Work and Tiger Roll forced Cheltenham’s hand to make it a handicap at this year’s festival and one that could look to make the most of that is Gavin Cromwell’s Stumptown, who beat Mister Coffey by a length in a race over course and distance back in November and the Irish raider could be the next star. Placed in the 2023 National Hunt Chase at the festival, Stumptown is looking to finally get his head in front and he’s another standout entry.
The abovementioned Mister Coffey still remains winless over fences and Nicky Henderson’s enigma continues to run big races in quality races, but is still yet to get his time in the spotlight, but he will take his chance here, while Vanillier, who has previously finished second in the Grand National, is now looking for more success and looks another exciting Cross Country star for the Cromwell yard and he was a winner at Punchestown last time out.
Second in the 2023 National Hunt Chase, Chemical Energy is another shot set to be fired by the Gordon Elliott gun and he’s another dour stayer that will relish this test, while the likes of Latenightpass, Iceo Madrik and The Goffer all add depth to the entry list.
2025 Cross Country Handicap Chase Entries
| Number | Horse | Trainer |
| 1 | Back On The Lash | Martin Keighley |
| 2 | Bodhisattva | John McConnell |
| 3 | Busselton | Joseph O’Brien |
| 4 | Chambard | Venetia Williams |
| 5 | Chemical Energy | Gordon Elliott |
| 6 | Coko Beach | Gordon Elliott |
| 7 | Conflated | Gordon Elliott |
| 8 | Deise Aba | Alexandra Dunn |
| 9 | Delta Work | Gordon Elliott |
| 10 | Enjoy D’Allen | Neil King |
| 11 | Escaria Ten | Martin Keighley |
| 12 | Fakir D’Oudairies | Joseph O’Brien |
| 13 | French Dynamite | Mouse Morris |
| 14 | Galvin | Gordon Elliott |
| 15 | Gevrey | Gordon Elliott |
| 16 | Iceo Madrik | David Cottin |
| 17 | Iwilldoit | Sam Thomas |
| 18 | Latenightpass | Tom Ellis |
| 19 | Minella Crooner | Gordon Elliott |
| 20 | Mister Coffey | Nicky Henderson |
| 21 | Motu Fareone | David Cottin |
| 22 | Placenet | David Cottin |
| 23 | Roi Mage | Patrick Griffin |
| 24 | Slipway | Ben Pauling |
| 25 | Sporting Ace | Neil King |
| 26 | Stumptown | Gavin Cromwell |
| 27 | The Big Breakaway | Anthony Charlton |
| 28 | The Goffer | Gordon Elliott |
| 29 | Three By Two | Denis Paul Murphy |
| 30 | Unanswered Prayers | Chris Gordon |
| 31 | Vanillier | Gavin Cromwell |
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