A pair of Gallic chasers are aiming to dislodge Tiger Roll’s crown in the Cheltenham Festival Cross Country Chase
On a windswept gallop in central France, Emmanuel Clayeux is looking a couple of weeks into the future – and also, he hopes, three or four years.
Urgent De Gregaine and Diesel D’Allier, Clayeux’s main contenders for the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, were among the horses exercising here on Tuesday morning, and will be aiming for a repeat of their one-two finish over the unique obstacles in November when they return to Gloucestershire on 11 March. Only time will tell if there were also Festival contenders for 2022 or 2023 working alongside them, but the odds are that there was at least one future star among the couple of dozen horses cantering around his converted cattle farm in Auvergne.
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The handsome grey Diesel D'Allier, contender for the Cross Country Chase at the #Cheltenham #Festival, hanging out in his box at Emmanuel Clayeut's stable in France this morning. pic.twitter.com/m3ez1y2jjy
Catterick
2.15 Do Wanna Know 2.45 Catchmeifyoucan 3.15 Ashutor 3.45 Saint Sonnet 4.15 Ask Paddy 4.45 Sweet Vinetta