Marcus Townend

CAPTAIN HEATH

THE Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase is an Irish benefit and Gordon Elliott, who has won four of the last six runnings, can come up trumps again with his 2022 winner DELTA WORK.

There are plenty of runners in this race but it is one of the least competitive and most of them will struggle to lay a glove on Keith Donoghue’s mount.

Delta Work was a bit of a villain last year in this race last year when he beat the much-loved dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll, who was running for the last time.

Delta Work subsequently finished third in the Grand National and, while he was beaten almost five lengths by Back On The Lash here in January, that was a handicap and he gave that rival 23lb. Today they meet on level terms. Delta Work’s biggest challenge may turn out to be his stablemate Galvin, who was fourth in last year’s Gold Cup and is reunited with Davy Russell after the jockey came out of his brief retirement.