Tiger Roll ready for Cross Country Chase defence

Tiger Roll enjoyed an outstanding end to the 2017/18 National Hunt campaign, triumphing at Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National. The Irish-bred horse put forward a dominant performance at the Festival to claim the Cross Country Chase crown, beating out a number of talented horses. Gordon Elliott’s charge made his next appearance at the National – the ultimate test of a competitor’s mettle and endurance.

However, Tiger Roll rose to the occasion with a flawless ride at Aintree. He displayed the pace and stamina needed to secure the victory, fending off a desperate attempt from Pleasant Company to beat him out on the line. Tiger Roll etched his place in history and now has the chance to join an elite company of horses with repeat triumphs in both races, although Cheltenham Festival is the first task at hand. The nine-year-old was held out of action in the new National Hunt campaign until November in the Cross Country Handicap Chase.

Embed from Getty Images

He faced off against a talented field, including Josies Orders and Fact Of The Matter. Both of his rivals were on form in the event, having already had time to find their rhythm in the campaign. Tiger Roll lacked the same fluency and finished off the pace down in fourth, while Josies Orders claimed the victory by a narrow margin. Elliott gave his charge time off to rest ahead of the busy schedule down the stretch and opted to place him in a 21-furlong race to rediscover his speed in the Boyne Hurdle.

It had been 16 months since he had competed at the distance, which was reflected in his odds at 25/1 to win the meet. Keith Donoghue in the saddle got a fine performance out of his Tiger Roll, who rediscovered his fluency on the track. The Irish-bred horse pulled away from the field to claim the victory by four lengths ahead of Off You Go. Tiger Roll’s display laid down a marker for Cheltenham and it has been reflected in his odds for the Cross Country Chase as Oddschecker has highlighted that the champion horse is rounding into prime form. However, there are two horses that could knock him off track, both out of Enda Bolger’s yard.

Auvergnat

Embed from Getty Images

Bolger’s charge was off the pace in the Cross Country Chase last season. He finished in fourth place as he failed to match the speed displayed by Tiger Roll coming in 14-and-a-half lengths behind the winner. However, Auvergnat bounced back in his next outing, defeating his stable-mate Josies Orders in the Cross Country Chase For The La Touche Cup at Punchestown. Donal McInerney put his charge in contention with the leading group and gradually edged him forward before the final fence when he competed for the lead. Auvergnat had the pace when it mattered the most to close out the win by a neck ahead of Josies Orders. However, he would end the campaign on a low note, failing to rise to the occasion at the National Handicap Chase. The French-bred horse was the favourite for the race, but he couldn’t muster a charge down the stretch, finishing in third.

Auvergnat returned to action for the new season at the Glenman Corporation Handicap Hurdle. It was clear that he was off the pace from the start of the race, struggling to find his rhythm in the 21-furlong event. Bolger’s charged placed down in 15th out of 19 competitors, highlighting his issues at an unfamiliar distance. Despite his problems, his trainer persisted with a shortened format, putting her charge forward for the Sherry Fitzgerald Lettings Handicap Hurdle over 20 furlongs. The nine-year-old made no impression once again, finishing in 11th place. Auvergnat returned to a distance over three miles at the Paddy Power Chase and delivered the best performance of his career. He was considered a 28/1 outsider and in the early stages of the race, he held out of the leading group. However, McInerney was able to time to move to perfection to surge into the lead and he had the speed to close out a comfortable triumph by six-and-a-half lengths to put Tiger Roll on notice.

Josies Orders

Embed from Getty Images

Bolger’s other outstanding horse has history in the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham Festival as he was awarded the event in 2016 due to the disqualification of Any Currency. He had finished one length off the pace of his rival, although it emerged after the fact that triumphant horse had tested positive for a banned substance. The bay gelding missed out on the opportunity to defend his crown, while his return to the Festival in 2018 resulted in an underwhelming performance, finishing well off the pace in sixth place. The Irish-bred horse endured further disappointing as he pulled up in his next outing at the Fairyhouse Steel Handicap Hurdle, although the bay gelding ended the season on a strong note. Josies Orders finished second behind Auvergnat in the For The La Touche Cup at Punchestown, and then recorded his first win since his Cheltenham triumph in the Dooley Insurances Cross Country Chase, dominating the rest of the field.

He returned for the new campaign like his-stable-mate at the Glenman Corporation Handicap Hurdle. However, he endured similar problems, placing one below Auvergnat in 16th. Bolger’s charge was named the favourite for the Cross Country Handicap Chase, despite his struggles in his opening race of the term. Josies Orders was on form from the off, producing a smooth performance to claim a narrow victory, edging out Fact Of The Matter by three-quarters of a length. Fact Of The Matter got his revenge in the second instalment of the contest, defeating the Irish-bred horse. Josies Orders was back to his best at the P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase, delivering on expectations with a solid performance to see out a win by two lengths. The 11-year-old still has the ability to cause Tiger Roll problems at Cheltenham.