Final Orders gave Gavin Cromwell successive wins in the Glenfarclas Cross County Chase on Wednesday.
The County Meath-based hander, who won the race with Stumptown last season, saw Conor Stone-Walsh and Final Orders defeat the race favourite Favori De Champdou (2/1) by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Winning rider Conor Stone-Walsh said of his first Cheltenham Festival win:
“It’s a bit surreal at the minute – I think it will take a while to sink in! I had no real plan, just get a good start and go wherever he was happy, but I was conscious that I wanted to cover the least ground as possible, so I let him rock down to the Canal Turn, and he jumped that well and ended up on the inside, and I was happy where I was and he was taking me everywhere. He jumped from fence to fence and he kept going the whole way.”
The runner-up, ridden by Jack Kennedy, had 18 lengths to spare over the third-placed finisher, Vanillier – also from the Cromwell yard. The 13/2 chance was ridden by Seán Flanagan.
Final Orders, who has taken well to the cross-country discipline, won over course and distance last December when landing the Crystal Cup.
🗣️ “Brilliant.”
Conor Stone-Walsh on his first Festival winner 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/RIUIPAjCLv
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 11, 2026
Today’s victory is a first Cheltenham Festival success for County Wexford-born jockey Conor Stone-Walsh.
