Cromwell thrilled at claiming first, third and fourth in Cross Country Limited Handicap Chase
DONE WELL: Trainer Gavin Cromwell celebrates Conor Stone-Walsh on Final Orders winning. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy.
Gavin Cromwell, who hasnât been enjoying his strongest of seasons, saddled the first, third and fourth horsesâ home in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Limited Handicap Chase, which will come as a timely morale booster ahead of Inotehwayurthinkinâs attempt to win a second consecutive Gold Cup on Friday.
The festival weeks quirkiest contest was won by Final Orders from the strongly backed favourite, Favori De Champdou with his Cromwell stablemates Vanillier and Stumptown, who won last yearâs edition, back in third and fourth places.
A winner over the course and distance last December, Final Orders was a welcome change of luck for rider Conor Stone Walsh, who had received a two-day ban for careless riding aboard Ice Berg Theory in the last race on Tuesday. It was the up-and-coming jockeyâs first festival winner.
Walsh took Final Orders to the front after the third fence and was prominent for all of the three-mile five-furlong marathon and accelerated into the last two fences when they re-entered the course proper.
Favori De Champdou was the only challenger up the straight but was always held and was a couple of lengths down at the winning post with Vanillier labouring eighteen lengths back in third place.
Favori De Champdou had been raised eight pounds for his win over the course and distance in January which proved the difference between victory and defeat for Gordon Elliots veteran.
Speaking after the race, Cromwell said that: âI knew conditions would really suit Final Orders and Conor was very good on him.
"He ran really well on trials day here, but his wind isnât so good on soft ground, and we actually gave him a little wind surgery after that, and it really worked for him.
"I was confident he was in great form and Conor gave him a brilliant ride.
âThe more the ground dried I thought it would play to Final Ordersâ strengths, but at the same time Stumptown is so good around here, although the ground drying up was a negative for him.
"I thought at the last though that Favori du Champdou was cantering upsides us.â
Cromwell also said he would now target the Grand National with the game ten-year-old if the penalty for this win gets him enough weight to get into the race.
âWe came here this week with a nice bunch of horses but itâs still very difficult and we probably had a stronger team last year so itâs great to get one on the board, although all of them have run well so far.â âÂ
Stone-Walsh found it all a bit hard to take in: âItâs a bit surreal at the minute,â he said.
âI think it will take a while to sink in! I had no real plan, just get a good start and go wherever he was happy, but I was conscious that I wanted to cover the least ground as possible.
"So I let him rock down to the Canal Turn, and he jumped that well and ended up on the inside, and I was happy where I was and he was taking me everywhere.
"He jumped from fence to fence and he kept going the whole way.â
