Gavin Cromwell-trained Final Orders thwarts huge gamble on favourite at Cheltenham

Gavin Cromwell's chaser Final Orders thwarted a huge gamble on J'Arrive De L'Est in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Priced at 7-1 on Thursday afternoon, the Emmet Mullins-trained runner was very well backed and eventually went off the 7-4 favourite.

Ridden prominently by Donagh Meyler, carrying just 10st 5lb, J'Arrive De L'Est made a bad mistake at the 26th fence and had ground to make up on the eventual winner.

Final Orders, whose stamina for the 3m5½f was not guaranteed, kept popping his fences for course expert Keith Donoghue and was not for catching up the final hill.

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The jockey, who successfully combined with Cromwell in last year's edition with Stumptown, said: "He was enjoying it and taking me along.

"That’s seven wins over the course now, including five at The Festival."

Donoghue, famously associated with Grand National hero Tiger Roll at Cheltenham, subsequently partnered Stumptown to a high-profile triumph in the Czech Republic's Velka Pardubicka cross country race.

Cromwell, trainer of 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin, had only saddled only one winner from 119 runners in November.

However he now has 19 successes to his name at Prestbury Park and four this month with the big Christmas meetings coming up.

"We are very lucky to have Keith for these cross country races," said Cromwell.

"“The only concern coming here today was that he had been a little bit careful through the hedges, so we schooled him over them this morning.

"I think the more confidence he got the lower and quicker he was. Hopefully he will come back here in March.”

Final Orders is 7-1 with William Hill for the cross country contest at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.