2.30 3m. 90yds. 15 Declared. Howden Cross Country S'chase of €20,000.00 5-y-o plus
1st - €12,000.00 2nd - €4,000.00 3rd - €2,000.00 4th - €1,000.00
FormscanBy Tom Weekes - FOUNTAIN HOUSE won this week’s Ladies Cup by 39 lengths and can follow up over today’s same course-and-distance. The nine-time point-to-point winner landed the Bishopscourt Cup at last year’s festival and while he makes a quick reappearance today and meets some smart ex-chasers, knows his way around this banks course and had an easy race on Tuesday. One-time high-class chaser Fakir D’Oudairies operates at a lower level these days and while he finished fourth over today’s course in February and sixth at Cheltenham last month, hasn’t won since January 2023. Lisnamult Lad finished second in last year’s Topham Chase and ninth in last month’s renewal of that Aintree race but debuts over banks today.
A steeplechase for five years old and upwards over a special Bank/Chase Course that at entry have run at least three times in steeplechases (including Point-To-Point steeplechases) Weights - 11st 7lbs; Mares allowed 7lbs; (No penalty to increase a horse's weight beyond 12st 7lb) HRI Directive 10 is suspended for the purpose of this race Should it be necessary to reduce the number of declared runners to the maximum runners or to such a lesser number as may be required the following balloting procedures shall be applied: (i) Runners that have won a Cross Country Steeplechase betweenPenalties - (to count from 1st January, 2024) For each steeplechase won 5lb extra