Thirteen of the 16 entries have stood their ground for the Grand Cross de Fontainebleau on Saturday in which Josef Vana, Guillaume Macaire, David Cottin and Eric Leray remain double-handed, Leray with three still in, but Patrice Quinton has withdrawn his pair, leaving Vana in a strong position to consolidate his lead in the Crystal Cup.

The race is taking on a guise of the old guard fending off the overtures of the younger generation, with Anjou-Loire Challenge winner Ever Forget Me and Craon victor, Roi Mage, at 11 and 13 respectively, leading the charge against a selection of 6 and 7 year olds in the ascendant.

It’s likely Josef Vana will run both his candidates to ensure maximum points in his pursuit of a second Crystal Cup. Gap Pierji hasn’t run since Wroclaw in October, but that said, his opportunities are limited given the paucity of racing east of Geneva during the winter. Another 10 pts would afford the Scuderia Aichner stable a cushion against any Irish challenge from Gavin Cromwell. Patrice Quinton, second in the Crystal Cup leaderboard, has withdrawn his two contenders.

David Cottin’s attempt to run Iceo Madrik at Cheltenham was baulked by the lack of a British handicap rating commensurate with his French form. This contest has a similar hallmark to his Compiegne win, and with a trouble-free run, he should be able to assert himself easier than his last-to-first effort from off the pace there. Illico, his second runner, hasn’t won since January 2024, and has ground to make up on Ici Avrilly on their Pau January form, even with a 1kg turnaround at the weights.

Guillaume Macaire and Hector Lageneste field Fraga Has and All Right Now. The latter has had a mid-winter break, not running since December, when he enjoyed back-to-back victories at Moulins and Pau but he’s unproven over this distance. Fraga Has was a 7 1/2l third to Iceo Madrik at Compiegne when giving 2kg, and now meets him on level terms.

A surprise entry remaining is Roi Mage, 7th at Cheltenham 10 days ago, who may find this race easier than the Irish Grand National. At his best, he is more than capable of belying his age, and adding another Crystal Cup scalp to his belt.

Of the remaining three, Google de Loued enjoyed a productive 2024, winning three times and being placed in a further 4 of his 11 starts, including a 7 1/2l third to Miss Laura at Saumur in a leg of the  Trophée Nationale de Cross. However, he has something to find at this level. Gamsoul has run once over this distance, when a respectful 10l second to Hip Hop Conti at Pau in December, whilst Kap My Sun makes more appeal off bottom weight, having refound the winning thread here at Fontainebleau a little over a month ago.

The Crystal Cup leaderboard compressed among the leaders at a scintillating Cheltenham, where Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell, whose Inothewayurthinkin won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, started his week well with first and third in the Glenfarclas Cross Country to put himself in contention for the Crystal Cup. Several of the leading trainers reconvene at Fontainebleau on Saturday, as the Challenge reaches its 10th leg, in the listed grand Cross de Fontainebleau over 6,000m (3m 6f).

The 18 entries include four individual winners of previous Crystal Cup challenges, notably Iceo Madrik, winner of the leg at Compiegne in November, who was balloted out of the handicap at Cheltenham. The Compiegne race, in which the Cottin – trained 7 year old went from first to last to first again, was perhaps not of the best quality in hindsight.

Cottin has also entered  Illico, 4th in the last two runnings of Pau’s big cross country, and Noble Run, a 4l second in his maiden run over chase fences at Nancy a week ago. This would be quite a step up in class.

Current leader in the rankings, Josef Vana, rarely runs horses over the winter, as training in Czechia during the winter presents its own challenges. However, he has entered Gap Pierji and Brunch Royal in an effort to reassert his lead. Gap Pierji of course is well known to Crystal Cup followers, winner at Wroclaw in October, whilst the 12 year old Brunch Royal steps up in class and distance for this event. Vana will be hoping to put sufficient points on the board to avoid having to travel to Punchestown.

Stalking both of these contenders is an old hand at the Crystal Cup, Patrice Quinton, who may run Iquem d’Arable and Hello de Sivola.  Iquem d’Arable was a 3 3/4l third to Hip Hop Conti in the Trophée Nationale qualifier at Lignières at the start of March, but a harsh assessment of the 7 year old would acknowledge he has only got his head in front in one of his 23 starts over obstacles.

Hello de Sivola has a similar record: one victory in 24 starts, his most recent a distance beating by Hip Hop Conti at Pau in February. However, he has been consistently running into the minor placings, and might do so again.

Notable among the remainder, 11 year old Ever Forget Me hasn’t run since Saumur last october, but is likely using this race as a precursor to a repeat of last year’s Anjou-Loire Challenge at Lion d’Angers at the end of May for his 80 year old owner, Victor Blot. Trainer Eric Leray may also run the consistent Gamsoul, and Google de Loued, for which this would be a step up in class.

The Peltier stable is represented by the admirable Miss Laura, fourth behind Ever Forget Me in Lion d’Angers’ marathon last May, but a winner three times since.

The Seror stable also has a live contender in Ici Avrilly, a seven year old most recently a 3 1/2l second behind Hip Hop Conti in Pau’s marquee cross country. She has obvious credentials to go one better.

Among the other French contenders, Elcond ‘Or Forlonge is held on his fourth to Roi Mage at Craon last September, as is Bolid du Mathan; Roi Mage, having run a  creditable seventh at Cheltenham, is likely to swerve this race in favour of the Irish Grand National. Which leaves bottom weight Kap My Sun, who comes into this race on the back of a 2 1/2l win here at Fontainebleau a month ago in a shorter race.

The Crystal Cup leaderboard has a new challenger in Gavin Cromwell after Stumptown scored his fourth consecutive win over cross country fences at Cheltenham yesterday, and put himself in contention for the leading cross country horse in the challenge. For good measure, Cromwell’s other runner, Vanillier, was an 8 1/4l third, and might have been second but for nearly taking the wrong route early in the race, which lost him the lead and pushed him among the backmarkers.

Stumptown lay handy throughout under Keith Donoghue, now a winner of this race for a record fifth time, and although he hit a flat spot 4 out, rallied to reel in course and distance winner Latenightpass to win by 7l. He is now being aimed at the Grand National next month.

The second, Latenightpass, has an admirable record over these obstacles, winning twice and never out of the frame. Whilst he is entered at Aintree, a route through cross country races could well appeal.

The reputation of this race to renew the enthusiasm of horses that have lost form is very strong. The Goffer and Chemical Energy, winners of just 2 of their 20 steeplechases each, ran up to the best form to come fourth and sixth, whilst perpetual bridesmaid, Mister Coffey, second twice over this course before Christmas, ran on to be a 13 1/2l fifth. Craon winner Roi Mage ran seventh.

Although the winner is being aimed at the Grand National, the race may yet come too soon. Being little more than 3 weeks’ hence. Stumptown ran in snatches, Donoghue reporting he wasn’t necessarily at his best. Nevertheless he was good enough to defy top weight in this race that successfully reverted to handicap status. Contrary to the view of some professionals, and perhaps challengers from overseas more used to running in conditions races, the transition was a marked success.

Cromwell’s first and third places catapult him into contention for the leading trainer status in the Crystal Cup with just three races remaining. The top of the Trainer rankings has compressed, with three trainers within 7pts of each other. Whilst Josef Vana’s 40pts were accumulated early in the challenge, the mid-winter fixtures do not play to the advantage of horses trained in the Czech Republic, where harsher winters do not allow for a winter steeplechase programme. Beau Saonais or Gap Pierji are likely to reappear at Fontainebleau, but with Cromwell likely to run horses at Punchestown, the stage may be set for a showdown at Lion d’Angers at the end of May.

Sixteen stand their ground in a highly competitive Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeplechase on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, leg 9 of the Crystal Cup, in a race surely headed across to Ireland.

No less than 11 of the entries are trained in Ireland, six alone from Gordon Elliott, whose entries look to have crowded out any French challenge from David Cottin’s Iceo Madrik, currently second reserve.

Stumptown has been the over-the-winter favourite for this race since confirming his cross country credentials with a third consecutive win over these obstacles in December. As the highest-rated horse in the race, he is well capable of carrying top weight over this near 4 mile trip, and could put Gavin Cromwell into play in the Crystal Cup leaderboard, where he currently sits in fifth place.

However, this is no pushover. Galvin is one of the Elliott six, and has enjoyed a light campaign to date, venturing to Far Hills in the US to be beaten a neck in a valuable hurdle race back in October. He comes here fresh, is a known stayer with experience of this genre of obstacle, and meets many of these on better terms than the weight for age scale of 2024. As Elliott’s number one rider, Jack Kennedy takes the ride, a welcome return to the Festival after his broken leg.

The betting suggests that Busseltown and Mister Coffey rank next, yet Busseltown is well held by Stumptown on his December showing, and has not been troubling the judge in his races this campaign. Mister Coffey by contrast appears the perpetual bridesmaid, second in each of the November and December cross country handicaps here at Cheltenham, and still to break his maiden tag after 15 steeplechase starts. Impeccably bred, there is a sneaking doubt that he lacks the finish to cement a Festival win for owners Alice & Lady Bamford, of JCB fame.

Gavin Cromwell’s second string, Vanillier, together with Latenightpass – twice a winner over this course and distance, and Coko Beach, another following the Crystal Cup route, are all entered in the Grand National in three weeks’ time. Coko Beach is held by Vanillier on recent Punchestown form, whilst Vanillier was well beaten by his stable companion back here in December.

The Elliot sextet is completed by outsiders The Goffer – well beaten by Vanillier at Punchestown in February; Chemical Energy – down the field in the same Punchestown banks race and well beaten by Stumptown here in December; Gevrey, another also-ran in the Punchestown race; and Minella Crooner, whose appetite for the game seems to have waned since a hard-fought victory in a listed handicap chase at last year’s Punchestown Festival.

Among the other outsiders, two make more appeal. Iwilldoit, trained by Sam Thomas, has been running in the best company this winter, losing out narrowly in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January, and finishing a 3l third in the Welsh National at Chepstow over Christmas. Dylan Johnston claims 3lb to bring his 11st 3 down to 11st.

Roi Mage looks set to burnish the credentials of the Crystal Cup route to Festival success. Largely run in continental cross country events, the French-bred won handsomely at Craon back in September, but was subsequently behind second reserve Iceo Madrik in a listed cross country at Compiegne in November. Iceo Madrik has failed to catch the notice of the British handicapper, his only run this term resulting in an early exit, so understandably, the handicapper has based his rating on previous unspectacular British form, not his more recent winning French equivalent. Roi Mage’s form is understated in his price; he certainly merits an each-way chance.

Of the two remaining, Escaria Ten has some credentials based on his 4 3/4l fourth to Stumptown here in December when in receipt of a stone. He is 5lb better in here, but still running from outside the handicap.

Chambard makes up the numbers for Venetia Williams but it’s difficult to make any sort of case for the thirteen year old, a onetime winner of the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir here.

Handicap weights for the £75,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeplechase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival were released today, completing another piece of the Crystal Cup jigsaw for this ninth leg, in which a strong French or Irish challenge could have a significant impact upon the leaderboard. The 31 entries must also whittle down to a maximum field of 16.

Short-priced favourite Stumptown heads the weights off a top weight of 11st 10 (74.5kg) on the back of his winning performance in the corresponding Crystal Cup leg at Cheltenham back in December, and trainer Gavin Cromwell has a superb record at Cheltenham. He had stablemate Vanillier well beaten on that occasion and a previous run over Punchestown’s banks, and there is little reason to suppose form will be reversed. Vanillier is one of several headed for the Grand National in this field. Winning or placed runs for both would put Cromwell in a challenger position in the Crystal Cup leaderboard.

Second favourite is Galvin, part of a strong Gordon Elliott team for the Festival at large, and owned by potato magnate Ronnie Bartlett. Galvin hasn’t been seen since just losing out by a neck to Snap Decision on an enterprising trip to Far Hills in the US back in October. However, his 8 1/2l fourth in last April’s Grand National proves this trip will not worry him, and he has plenty of experience of these obstacles from two runs in last season’s Cheltenham cross country chases. On the basis of his National form, he has the measure of other candidates Roi Mage, Coko Beach, Latenightpass, Vanillier and Chemical Energy.

The cross country genre is not a regular haunt for Nicky Henderson, but Mister Coffey has shaped well in two runs over these fences this season, finishing second on both occasions, the latest in December when failing by a length to Stumptown when in receipt of 9lbs. With the weights favouring him  by a further 6lbs now, this may be an excellent opportunity to lose his maiden status over fences.

Busselton makes little appeal, whilst Latenightpass has struggled to recapture the form that won him two autumn handicaps over course and distance in 2023. He is well in against Stumptown on the form of his 4 1/4l third in December if he can run to his top rating.

Three French runners remain among the entries, all trained by David Cottin, who has experience of winning at Cheltenham as a trainer and rider. A plan to test Iceo Madrik over this course in December backfired when rider Felix de Giles was unseated early, but the 7  year old is already a winner of a listed cross country at Compiegne in November, leg 6 of the Crystal Cup. His 16/1 price belies his chances.

Cottin has left Placenet entered, but even off a long handicap weight of 9st 11, he has ground to make up. Assuming the top weight stays in, he will be running at 10st 5, 8lb out of the handicap. the same is also the case for Motu Fareone. A strong showing from Cottin runners would put him in a strong challenging position for Crystal Cup honours with two French races still to come before the Challenge concludes.

Roi Mage, a French-bred trained by Patrick Griffin in Ireland, is one of this select few to have been campaigned almost exclusively on the continent. Although behind Iceo Madrik at Compiegne, he was a comprehensive winner at Craon back in September, and looks value at 25/1. He is likely to swerve a return to Aintree in favour of the Irish Grand National. He should run well here under James Reveley.

The Elliott challenge includes a further 5, the best of which are the Gigginstown pair of Coko Beach and Conflated, who will share top weight with Stumptown. Delta Work won this off 11st 10 as a conditions event last time around, but giving weight all round may be a tall ask for Conflated. Coko Beach’s distant second to Vanillier over the Punchestown banks in early Febraury still leaves him something to find but he may be the best chance for Gigginstown to continue their outstanding success in this race.

Amongst the rest, Iwilldoit may be the springer. His 3l third to Val Dancer in the Welsh National in December was a solid run, and trainer Sam Thomas has become adept at correctly placing his horses in big handicaps.

The next scratching is on March 6th, which will see the field reduce to something nearer is final make-up, together with a majority of jockey bookings.