A low volume entry leaves the route wide open for course specialist Hip Hop Conti to score a fourth consecutive victory in Sunday’s Grand Cross de Pau – Allianz Olivier Ournac.

Emanuel Clayeux’s nine year old is riding high presently, unbeaten in two outings this winter, and set to record a fifth consecutive victory in the €79,000 contest over 6,300m. He has the measure of rivals Saint Godefroy, Shawinigen and Ici Avrilly on both recent form in the autumn and this equivalent race 12 months ago.

Commentator’s tongue-twister Kouroukoukou is Clayeux’s other runner, a six year old who graduated to the cross country division 12 months ago, and has shown considerable flair for the variety of obstacles, winning three of his five races. He is untried over this distance however, but given the small field and Clayeux’s eye for a cross country horse, should not be discounted from running into a place against the older horses.

Ici Avrilly and Saint Godefroy were second and third to Hip Hop Conti 12 months ago in this race, 3 1/2l and 8 1/2l apart. The eight year mare Ici Avrilly is unlikely to improve, and is not a faultless jumper, which doesn’t always play well over Pau’s obstacles, which are to be respected. Saint Godefroy was held by Hip Hop Conti in a shorter cross country at Pau 2 months ago, and there is little reason to suggest he can overturn that form.

Small fields can turn races into tactical affairs, so it will be interesting to see if any of the four looking to knock Hip Hop Conti off his perch are prepared to take the race by the scruff of the neck. In a race where the sheer number of obstacles put jumping at a premium, his rivals’ best chance is to put the record-holder under pressure.

Despite the small field, a fascinating contest in prospect.

For the full field visit GRAND CROSS DE PAU – ALLIANZ OLIVIER OURNAC (PRIX GASTON BATAILLE) | France Galop

Gavin Cromwell completed a hat-trick of cross country wins at Cheltenham yesterday as Final Orders produced a commanding performance to beat young pretender J’Arrive de L’Est 4 1/4l in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country, the seventh leg of the 12 race challenge.

Winning rider Keith Donoghue, winning his eighth victory over this unique course at Cheltenham, once again showed his understanding of how to ride the course, keeping Final Orders prominent throughout, and taking up the running from the ninth of the 31 fences. His race record, that started with Tiger Roll back in March 2018, includes further festival victories on that horse in 2019 and 2021,  Delta Work in the Festival race here in 2023, and Stumptown’s treble through last season.

The six year old French import from Daniele Mele, J’Arrive de L’Est, was also prominent throughout, but not foot perfect at the ninth, relinquishing the lead and never able to regain it from that juncture. Experience may yet give him an edge, but this was a delicious opportunity off a low weight, as understood by punters who sent him off 7/4 favourite.

Iceo Madrik burnished his reputation after his early exit here 12 months ago, and a debacle at Compiegne last month, and ran prominently without being able to land a blow, making a 3-4 for Caroline Tisdall, whose horses campaign on both sides of the Channel.

There were hard luck stories for Amirite, who might have been expected to be prominent given his high rating, but mistakes at the 18th and 20th – put down to shedding a plate – put paid to his chance; also for veteran cross country competitor Vital Island, a former winner of the La Touche at Punchestown, who was brought down by the fall of Favori de Champdou.

Cromwell’s second victory abroad puts him in a much stronger position to challenge long time Trainers’ Award leader Josef Vana, given legs back at Cheltenham and in Punchestown still to come, but credit where credit is due to the Czech, who recognized the opportunity of building a lead in races outside the Czech Republic early in the Challenge. He will still take a lot of pulling back, and the cards have to fall right for the French and Irish to deny him a second Crystal Cup, even if his owner, Scuderia Aichner, is now surely a shoo-in for the Owners’ Award.

Full result here

Fourteen will face the starter for Friday’s Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, a second handicap and leg 7 of the Crystal Cup after top weight Desertmore House was scratched. Henry de Bromhead’s Amirite will head the weights, seeking to improve on a 10 1/2l fourth in a valuable Grade III handicap at Galway back in July.

Four horses vie for favouritism here. Busselton carried 11st 7 to victory in the La Touche at the Punchestown Festival and carries 2lb less in this handicap. He had Vital island and Peaches And Cream behind him that day, and is a proven performer over these obstacles.

Two home-trained runners – Latenightpass and Mister Coffey, follow closely in the betting. Latenightpass has winning form in this race from two years ago, but is running off a much higher mark nowadays, whilst Mister Coffey has a bad case of seconditis. remarkably for a horse of his calibre, he remains a maiden over fences on this 18th attempt.

David Cottin is sending over a strong team for owner Caroline Tisdall, marking a landmark birthday. Iceo Madrik, who unseated Thomas Journiac at the third last year, is tilting at a handicap mark good enough to justify a return here in March. He is not the most reliable of horses, having created mayhem in the previous Crystal cup leg at Compiegne when refusing at the trou de loup. Those choosing him should be reassured no such fence exists at Cheltenham. Cottin also fields Placenet, who has winning form over these obstacles, albeit not in 2025.

Gavin Cromwell is always to be respected at Cheltenham, but his two entries have a little to find over Stumptown, previous winner of this race. Final Orders was a well beaten 6th behind Amirite in a listed handicap at Kilbeggan back in July, whilst Peaches And Cream  also has something to find.

Of more interest among the Irish is youngster J’Arrive de l’Est, representing Emmet Mullins. A winner of a €50,000 handicap at Auteuil back in March, he is new to this distance and this ground, but he has youth on his side.

Toward the bottom of the handicap, it’s difficult to make a case for any of Statuario, Unanswered Prayers, or The Big Breakaway, whilst age may finally be catching up with 13 year old Vital Island.

For the full card, click here

Cheltenham’s cross country season gets underway on Friday, a month later than usual because of the dry summer, amid a dearth of home-trained candidates for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeplechase, leg 7 of the Crystal Cup.

Nineteen entries have played their hand at the entry stage for the 16 places available, of which just 6 are trained in Britain, the remainder in Ireland or France. The best of the English is Mister Coffey, second in a Unibet Veterans Series  Chase qualifier here in November, and bridesmaid to Stumptown in the corresponding cross country 12 months ago. Nevertheless, he remains a maiden in 17 runs over fences, and one has to question if he’ll ever lose that tag.

Running off a low handicap mark, Latenightpass thrilled supporters over the two Cheltenham cross country races in 2023, but he’s struggled to find winning form now the handicapper has allotted him a higher rating. he was runner-up to Stumptown here in March, but now carries another 12lb.

Mickey Bowen saddles Statuario, who enjoyed a productive summer north of the border at Perth, winning two handicaps and second in another. Unless he improves a few pounds for the change in obstacles, he may find one or two too good here.

Chris Gordon has entered Unanswered Prayers, who has acquitted himself well enough in Class 3 handicaps, but has never ventured over this extended trip. There are more obvious candidates. It’s difficult to make a case for the remaining two British entries, The Big Breakaway and Sporting Ace.

And those candidates are almost (but not quite) exclusively Irish, making up 12 of the 19 entries, including 4 from Gavin Cromwell. Swerving this contest off top weight with Stumptown, the ascendant force in Irish jump racing  has several others up his sleeve, but they are all exposed against others in the race, apart from top weight Velvet Ellis, who is dropping back from listed and graded company.

Seven pounds lighter in the weights, Desertmore House went down by just 3/4l behind Busselton in the La Touche at Punchestown in May, but has since reversed that form with him when winning a similar banks race at Punchestown last month, Vanillier, Final orders, Peaches & Cream and Vital Island behind. He looks overdue to make his mark in this handicap.

Henry de Bromhead has entered Amirite, a gallant fourth over the Aintree fences in the shorter Topham Chase last April. On that premise, he shouldn’t be ruled out in pursuit of a third win over fences.

Another with his feet planted firmly on the ground is Emmet Mullins, whose French import J’arrive de l’Est is the youngest in the field. Winner of a £40k handicap at Auteuil in March, he has youth on his side, and an impressive 50% winning record over fences in his 10 starts.

The French connection is continued by David Cottin’s pair, Placenet and Iceo Madrik. The latter has something to prove here, having unseated his rider, Thomas Journiac at the third 12 months ago, and refusing at the trou de loup in Compiegnre last month. Placenet, winner of the Waregem leg of the Crystal Cup in 2024, has been running in the top grade since, including a distant 4th to Gran Diose in the Prix de la Haye Jousselin, Autueil’s autimn gold cup equivalent 12 months ago. Both are owned or part-owned by Caroline Tisdall, at Cheltenham to celebrate a milestone birthday.

The current going on the cross country course remains good to firm, with final declarations on Wednesday. Full racecard here.

Iceo Madrik, the joker in the latest Crystal Cup leg at Compiegne earlier this month, looks set to be part of a three-handed sortie to Cheltenham by David Cottin next month. The seven year old refused at the trou de loup, creating a fair amount of chaos around him, and letting through young pretender Klitchko de Belair to win handsomely for the Lageneste-Macaire stable. Cheltenham is his chance to make amends for septuagenarian owner Caroline Tisdall.

Iceo Madrik is no stranger to Cheltenham, but has yet to get past the third fence in the Glenfarclas Cross Country, unseating Thomas Journiac there 12 months ago before the race had developed any shape at all. That race was won by Stumptown, who is likely to head the handicap in pursuit of his fourth victory over the cross country obstacles at Cheltenham, fresh from his triumph at Pardubice last month.

Cottin is also likely to send Jet Blue, winner of a graded novice hurdle at Cheltenham’s International meeting last year, who finished a gallant second to Losange Bleu in the Grade I Grand Prix d’Automne, Auteuil’s marquee staying conditions hurdle over 3m. He hasn’t run over less than 3m for two years, but the size of the Unibet International Hurdle, combined with a milestone birthday for owner Caroline Tisdall, may prove a deciding factor.

Stable companion Placenet may join the above pair, with a choice of engagements in the 3m2f handicap chase or the cross country. He’s shown form over the cross country obstacles, winning the Grand Prix de Waregem in September 2024.