Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase
Cheltenham 15:00
£40,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
3m 5f 56y, Class 2  
Friday 12th December 2025

BetPlay

1 Final Orders 16/1
2 J'Arrive De L'Est 7/4F
3 Iceo Madrik 14/1
14 ran Distances: 4¼l, 3¼l, 3¼l
Time: 8m 4.15s (fast by 0.85s)

Final Orders provided a compelling spectacle at Cheltenham as Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue once again demonstrated their cross-country prowess, combining to land the race for the second year in succession.

Twelve months earlier the same trainer-jockey partnership had struck with Velka Pardubicka hero Stumptown, but this time Final Orders was allowed to go off at a surprisingly dismissive 16-1. Those odds looked generous long before the line.

Always travelling with intent around the specialist course, Final Orders was ridden with the assurance that comes from an expert hand. Donoghue, long established as a master of this unique discipline, kept his mount prominently placed throughout, and the pair gradually asserted their authority before pulling clear with something approaching disdain, scoring by four and a quarter lengths from Emmet Mullins’ well-backed 7-4 favourite J’arrive De L’est.

The performance did not go unnoticed by the layers, with Final Orders trimmed to 10-1 from 50s for a return engagement at the Cheltenham Festival. Cromwell was quick to credit the rider, whose name remains synonymous with cross-country success at this track thanks to his golden partnership with Tiger Roll.

He told ITV Racing: “Keith is unbelievable over these fences, he’s worth at least a stone on any horse around here. He loves it so much and the horses get such a tune out of him. I guess they gain in confidence and jump brilliantly for him.

“Final Orders really enjoyed it, he’s so nimble and quick and has really taken to it.

“Absolutely we’ll come back here in March, why not.”

Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
£40,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m 5f 56y, Class 2
14 ran
Going: Good

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Final Orders 9 11-6 Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue 16/1
2 4¼ J'Arrive De L'Est 6 10-5 Emmet Mullins Donagh Meyler 7/4F
3 3¼ Iceo Madrik t 7 10-12 D Cottin Clement Lefebvre 14/1
4 3¼ Placenet 8 10-9 D Cottin Johnny Charron 12/1
5 6½ Unanswered Prayers 9 10-8 Chris Gordon Freddie Gordon 8/1
6 2 Peaches And Cream 10 10-2 Gavin Cromwell Sam Twiston-Davies 33/1
7 ½ Latenightpass 12 11-10 T Ellis Miss Gina Andrews 12/1
8 4¾ Statuario 10 10-12 Mickey Bowen Sean Bowen 40/1
9 29 Busselton 8 11-5 Joseph O'Brien J J Slevin 14/1
10 14 The Big Breakaway 10 10-4 Syd Hosie Paddy Hanlon 20/1
11 2 Mister Coffey 10 11-10 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 6/1
12 26 Amirite 9 12-0 Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe 8/1
BD Vital Island 13 10-10 R P O'Keeffe Tiernan Power Roche 125/1
FELL Favori De Champdou 10 11-10 Gordon Elliott Jordan Gainford 16/1

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