Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase report: A good Cause

4.10 Cheltenham - Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase result

1st Cause Of Causes 4/1

2nd Bless The Wings 10/1

3rd Cantlow 9/4 Fav

Race Report

Cause Of Causes once again saved his best for the big occasion when leading home stablemate Bless The Wings to win the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase and give Gordon Elliott a fourth winner of the Festival so far.

Already a winner at the meeting for the past two seasons, Cause Of Causes was sent off at 4/1 to find the necessary improvement from his distant fifth around the same track in January and he did just that.

Happily bowling along in the main group throughout, he was pushed up by Codd to take closer order four out and booted into the lead on the turn past French raider Amazing Comedy.

Bless The Wings, who had also enjoyed himself throughout the contest, did his best to challenge, but Cause of Causes wasn't stopping and galloped on to score by nine lengths.

The victory was a poignant one for Codd, whose old friend JT McNamara was successful in the race in 2005.

"I sit at JT's peg in the weighing room and he was the 'King of the banks', whereas this is my first win in the race, so it means a lot," he said.

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Jamie Codd: "Cause Of Causes has run at four Festivals - he's been second and had three wins, so he is a remarkable little horse, he is so durable. 

 "He was second in the Kim Muir, won the four-miler and came back for a Kim Muir and has now won the Cross-Country race. He is a great little horse - he is just a dinger - and he has been marvellous for my career.

 "He ran here at January and had schooled well at home before, so we were quite confident but he just got a bit sticky early on that day. I got out of my ground and, to be fair, he only got going over the last three or four hedges across the side. 

 "He finished OK that day but has been back since. He went to Punchestown and came here in February when the sales were on, so we had two good schooling days with him, and he schooled well yesterday and this morning. 

 "If he turned up in the same form as the last couple of Festivals, I thought that he would run a big race.  He is an idle little horse, who only does what he has to in the race, but is very quick when you want him there. He has been second over two miles in a Galway Hurdle and a Ladbrokes Hurdle, so he is not slow either. He has just been fantastic. 

 "That means a lot because I sit under John Thomas' (McNamara) peg and he was the king of the banks. It's my first win in the banks race and I am just delighted that he is looking down on us all and delighted to win it."

Gordon Elliott: "He ran well and he may now go for the Randox Health Grand National."

Enda Bolger (trainer Cantlow): "They ran up to form, but Cause Of Causes is a better horse, and now a three-time winner here, so I always knew that if it came to a battle he would keep going.   

"I think it was a very good race, but we were never in a position to boss the race, and Adrian [Heskin, who rode Cantlow] said he was always flat out. "