Delta Work (11-10 favourite) grabbed back-to-back victories in the Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country Chase) on the second day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
And now the Gordon Elliott-trained 10-year-old will head back to Aintree Racecourse for another crack at the Randox Grand National next month.
The 10-year-old, a Grade One winner in the past, played the villain last year when winning the Cross Country Chase and denying dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll a fairytale record-equalling sixth Festival win on his final career start. This time he was the hero, under Keith Donohue, beating another stable-mate again in Galvin (11-4) by two-and-a-half lengths. Galvin also holds an entry at Aintree as does Willie Mullins' Franco De Port (9-2), who was a massive 26 lengths back in third.
Delta Work built on last year's win to be a fine third to Noble Yeats and Any Second Now in the Aintree marathon last year. And with his latest success Delta Work, and runner-up Galvin, will be part of Elliott's strong team for Aintree on April 15.
Delta Work is now a best-priced 16-1 with Coral to go a couple of places better in the Grand National this time behind last year's winner Noble Yeats (12-1 Coral) and fellow Festival winners this week – Corach Rambler (8-1 Coral, bet365, Skybet) and Galliard Du Mesnil (14-1 William). Cross Country Chase runner-up Galvin is now a best-priced 25-1 with BetVictor.
READ MORE: Full 73 current entries for the 2023 Randox Grand National at Aintree
It was a record sixth victory for Elliott in the Cross Country Chase with Delta Work grabbing a second win to add to Cause Of Causes success in 2017 and Tiger Roll's hat-trick (2018, 2019, 2021).
And County Meath trainer Elliott said:“I love the Cross Country race and it is great to have the one-two. Galvin ran a great race. He said there was a couple of soft spots that didn’t suit him that well. The O’Leary’s have been brilliant to me and to train a winner around Cheltenham for them is unbelievable as they are massive supporters of Cullentra. Keith Donoghue started off with me when he was 14 and he is having his best ever season. He went freelance so I said when Jack (Kennedy) couldn’t ride I said there is no better man to have on him.
“Once the two of them got over the last I didn’t mind who won. Galvin is going to come on from it. If I’m being honest I was hoping it was going to be Delta’s day. We have just trained him for this race and the Grand National that is the plan. Both horses will go for the Grand National. It is great to see Jack Kennedy here in the winner’s enclosure with us as they are all his horses to ride and when he gets back he will be on them. It is brilliant (that Jack is here) as he needs to know when he is back all these horses are here for him. I’ve full confidence in him and he will be back on them as he is first jockey at Cullentra.
“I don’t care what wins I just love winning. A winner is all I want. No (it doesn’t feel different to 12 months ago) as a winner is all I want. We had one beaten a short head early on but to get one on the board again I’m absolutely delighted.”
On Galvin, Elliott added: “Delta had the experience but Galvin was brilliant. He ran his heart out and they’re two nice horses to come back for this race with for the next couple of years and both now head for the English National. I think better ground would have inconvenienced Delta more and given Galvin a better chance today but to be fair to Delta he stays very well. It’s great to have a winner as we’ve hit the frame a few times, but we’ve two on the board now and we’re very happy.”
Winning jockey Donoghue said: “It was very straightforward. He went a good gallop on the ground; I just asked him to travel and he went on the ground, he jumped brilliantly and it couldn't have gone any easier for me.
“Looking on ratings and betting, Galvin was my main danger, and I could see something coming to me at the second-last and I looked over, and as I looked over I was a little bit worried that it was him coming – I was hoping it would be something else, but when I asked my lad to go down to the last I felt he was quickening, and I knew he would stay well. Obviously that ground was going to disadvantage Galvin. I was a little bit slow at the last but when he was coming up the hill his ears were pricked and he was just doing enough.
“He’s very good at this race; he’s so quick. For a horse who probably wasn’t a great jumper over a normal fence, he’s brilliant over these and I have to thank Gordon for putting me on him. It’s just great to have a winner at Cheltenham. He’s probably a bit scopier over these obstacles than Tiger Roll was; he probably jumps them a bit more, whereas Tiger was probably quicker and went through them a bit more, but Tiger just did enough over them – that was his way of doing it and he was very good, whereas this lad can actually lose a little bit of time in the air, but he’s still very good.
“I think he has to go to the Grand National now. He bolted up here and didn’t have a hard race. He was third last year so he probably has to improve a little bit, but he has every right to go for it.”
READ MORE: Grand National 2023: dates, tickets and how to watch on TV
Mullins, trainer of third home Franco De Port, said: "We are very happy with that as it was his first run over the cross country fences and he has run very well. He has time on his side as he is only eight years old and will be back for this race in 12 months’ time. He has an entry in the Aintree Grand National and we will look at that closer to the time but I am keen on aiming him at the Grand Steeplechase de Paris at Auteuil in the middle of May as i think the race will suit him."
Henry De Bromhead's Maskada (22-1) was an impressive winner of the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase. Under Darragh O'Keeffe, the seven-year-old bounded up the Cheltenham hill to score by six-and-a-half lengths from 7-2 favourite Dinoblue.
John Kiely's Dream To Share (7-2) won the Grade One Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race).
