Cross Country Chase 2022: Tiger Roll the star attaction in the latest entries
Five-times Cheltenham Festival winner Tiger Roll is set for his farewell appearance at this year's National Hunt extravagana, and he is one of 21 entries received for the Cross Country Chase, which takes place on day two of the meeting on March 16...
A runaway winner of the Cross Country at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, Tiger Roll duly notched up his third success in the race, and having already won the Triumph Hurdle and National Hunt Chase earlier in his career then the Gordon Elliott-trained veteran will attempt to emulate the wondermare Quevega by winning at a sixth festival.
The dual Grand National winner will not be heading to Aintree to try and win a hat-trick of Merseyside marathons, with the owners Gigginstown House Stud feeling aggrieved by his rating for the race, so it's all systems go for the Cross Country, and he will line up as a red-hot favourite for the crown, which should attract some solid opposition.
Tiger Roll will be the flagbearer for the Elliott yard, but the Cullentra House team could also send Delta Work and Alpha Des Obeaux to the unique marathon event, and the former of that duo, who was a Grade 1 chaser at his best, is currently sitting just behind his stablemate at the head of the betting.
JP McManus has a long affiliation with this event, and the legendary owner purchased French raider Prengarde earlier this season, and the Enda Bolger-trained six-year-old is well fancied to carry the famous green and gold silks to glory, while Bolger has also entered Shady Operator and Midnight Maestro.
A spectacular 17-length winner of the 2020 Cross Country Chase, Easysland was unable to follow up last season when well beaten by Tiger Roll, but the eight-year-old now under the stewardship of Jonjo O'Neill will look to recapture the crown on day two of the Chetlenham Festival, and he's another leading contender.
Richard Bandey's Diesel D'Allier was last seen edging out the Christian Williams-trained Potters Corner in a trial for this event back in December, but that Cheltenham contest was a handicap, so off level weights in the showpiece event on the Cross Country calendar, the pair will have a lot to do to land the spoils.
Fifth in that aforementioned December event at Cheltenham, Martin Keighley's Back On The Lash had previously won a Cross Country race at Cheltenham's October meeting, so he will be another interesting entry, while the Willie Mullins-trained Brahma Bull, who is a really smart handicap chaser on his day, could also take his chance, and is an eye-catching entries.
Of the others, Mon Prestige is a French-trained contender potentially making the trip over and he's finished second on his last three outings at Pau, while other contenders that have been entered include Tout Est Permis and Blast Of Koeman.