Eight go to post for Tuesday’s Grand Steeplechase de Compiegne, the sixth leg of the Crystal Cup and the halfway point in the competition, representing a chance for French owners and trainers to reassert themselves on the Series in which Czech representatives have left their gallic contemporaries flat-footed.

An all-French affair for the second of five legs on French soil is headed by last year’s victor in this race, Iceo Madrik, whose recent record is a contrast of glowing references and scratched heads. The seven year old competed in 4 Crystal Cup races last term, falls at Merano and Cheltenham sandwiching this contest 12 months ago, in which he went from first to last after a dreadful blunder, only to crawl his way back to a remarkable win that left as many question marks over his rivals as it did of him.

His autumn campaign has started auspiciously, succumbing by a length to Donne Le Change at Compiegne last month, but he has yet to prove that his jumping has become more reliable. Johnny Charron takes the ride for David Cottin and enthusiastic British owner Caroline Tisdall, who has long coveted Crystal Cup honours.

Christian Dubourg’s Donne le Change meanwhile reopposes 2kg better off than in his previous victory over Iceo Madrik, on the back of an unbeaten record this autumn, and his Compiegne record is outstanding. The 12 year old’s 13 victories include 5 at Compiegne, albeit this will be his first attempt beyond 4,700m. If age and experience tops youth, then look no further for your winner.

Anjou-Loire Challenge second Shawinigen was a respectful 10l adrift of Gold Allen in the Lion d’Angers marathon back in May, but reversed the form with Gold Allen over a shorter distance at Haras du Pin last month, with fellow challenger Klitchko de Belair also in arrears. However, the Lageneste-Macaire 6 year old has proved himself capable of winning at this level already, and was far from disgraced on his 3l defeat by Roi Mage at Craon in September. Conditions here are however rather softer, but he appears on the upgrade.

The third horse in the Compiegne race of last month won by Donne Le Change is Capodimonte from Daniele Mele’s yard. Whilst he was close enough that day, beaten 4l, he was in receipt of 10kg from the winner, and 8kg from the second, and reopposes at levels, so without improvement, his chances look weak.

Among the other youngsters, Jade de la Roque is worth noting. Still only six, Jerome Zuliani’s mare has been consistent this year so far, winning here and at Moulins earlier this month, the latter a Trophée Nationale leg over a similar distance. That was a first success at Class 1 level, and she merits her place in the field.

The field  is completed by another youngster, Meme Pas Kap, a second runner from David Cottin’s yard. Winner of a steeplechase at Auteuil in mid-summer, the five year old mare tried her hand at the cross country discipline only last month, fifth behind Shawinigen, with several of Tuesday’s field ahead of her. Nevertheless, she can improve on that run, but it’s notable that Charron has chosen Iceo Madrik in preference.

Meantime, as the Czech Jumps season draws to a halt for the winter, there are opportunities for French connections to reassert themselves in the challenge here, at Pau, and at Cheltenham twice before any likely reappearance from the Vana camp; four races in which to claw back a 30pt deficit in the challenge which might encourage the French to look abroad once more in pursuit of points. At the same time, Cheltenham’s cross country season, its start delayed until December due to the dry summer, presents opportunities for the British to take a hand, so far conspicuous by their absence. Expect Stumptown, victor in Pardubice, to be defending his Cheltenham record in January and March and enhancing Gavin Cromwell’s credentials for the leading trainer award too.

For a full list of runners, click here

Josef Vana and his leading owner Scuderia Aichner stretched their lead at the head of the Crystal Cup leaderboard with another dominant display in the Polish leg of ther pan-European series, this time with old favourite Gap Pierji, winning the race for a second consecutive time.

Well fancied, and sent off favourite, Gap Pierji never looked in danger, letting White Wood make the running under Jan Odložil, whilst Jan Kratochvil jumped from fence to fence handy behind.

Gap Pierji is well aware of his status, whilst connections collect their prize

Ramuntcho was the first to break formation four out, rider Lukáš Matusky making his move to secure the advantage. But Kratochvil was never far away, and picked him off readily to win by 11l at the line, Reggaeton a further 8l back in third.

The Vana domination of this race was completed by Brunch Royal, brought in as a pacemaker at Merano last week, but able to pick up some place money in this lower value and easier race.

Jadmir, the sole Polish runner, finished seventh.

Vana has never concealed his intentions to win the Crystal Cup, which was wrested from him in the final leg last season by multiple winner Patrice Quinton. He’s played a clever deck of cards through the early races, where racing abroad allows him to pick up double points. With a cushion of 48.5pts over Quinton as his nearest pursuer, even allowing for four of the remaining seven races taking place in France, Quinton will have a hard task reeling him in.

As to Scuderia Aichner, never afraid to throw runners at any valuable race in pursuit of prize money, their approach is admirable, and has added enormously to the challenge, which now heads for Compiegne early next month.

Full result here

No Irish challengers in Wroclaw this weekend, but a further chance for Josef Vana to give himself an unassailable lead in the Crystal Cup Trainers’ Championship as the 12 race pan-European cross country challenge reaches its fifth leg at Wroclaw Racecourse in Poland.

Vana ran just one horse at Pardubice last weekend, but has three lined up for the 172,000 zł prize (€40,000) and two of them may vie for favouritism among the nine entered. His leading owner Scuderia Aichner, is already in a commanding 28pt lead in the Owners’ Championship.

Owner standings up to and including October 12th 2025

Ramuntcho enjoyed a good summer for Vana, winning twice at Merano before being bested by stable mate Beau Saonais here at Wroclaw a month ago. He was well beaten that day by the Ilona  Hronová – trained Reggaeton, who won at Lysa in May, but has suffered from seconditis in three runs since. This 5,500m trip may be enough to blunt his rivals’ finishing speed.

Vana’s second runner needs no introduction. Winner of this race last year Gap Pierji is the stable’s standard bearer in these races, and most recently ran a valiant second to Laldann in Merano’s big cross country at the end of September. He will merit favouritism under stable jockey Jan Kratochvíl.

Sixth and last in that race was Vana’s third runner Brunch Royal, who acted as pacemaker at Merano. The 12 year old may yet win a second steeplechase, but that’s unlikely to be this time around.

White Wood, Molly Power and Go Canada all ran in this race last year behind Gap Pierji. Molly Power has struggled to find winning form in runs at Wissembourg, Aarau and Merano, so is not difficult to oppose. White Wood beat Go Canada 8l in a 4,400m steeplechase here back in June, and the receipt of 2kg is unlikely to make a difference. Go Canada looks game but lacking in finishing speed based on reaching the frame consistently in 4 races since May.

Which leaves the six year old Jadmir as a young pretender. A winner here in May over 3,400m, this is a first attempt at this distance for trainer-rider  Paweł Pałczyński. However, based on a run here behind Beau Saonais in early September, he has ground to make up on Reggaeton, Ramuntcho and Go Canada. However, with age on his side, and young legs, he might readily run into a place.

On balance, this looks like a repeat exercise for Vana’s travelling champion, Gap Pierji.

See the full list of runners here

Stumptown justified favouritism and landed a first Irish-trained victory in the Velka Pardubicka Chase at the 135th attempt today, 1 3/4l to the good over Czech-trained High In The Sky. It was a first victory in the race for Keith Donoghue, whose opening experience of this race 12 months previously had been to part company with Coko Beach 4 from home.

This was the strongest foreign challenge for the race in some time, with three runners trained outside the home territory. But as always with this unique and well-feted race, there are no easy wins and a legion of hard luck stories.

Last year’s winner Sexy Lord took them along at a fair pace in the early stages, and there was still plenty of pace up front approaching the best known fence on the course, the Taxis, at four of  31. The Irish dream could so nearly have ended there, Stumptown in rear landing sharply but Irish jockeys are made of stern stuff. Donoghue collected his reins and pressed on, hunting round the first circuit of this 4 1/2m marathon.

Among the others, both Gentleman de Reve and Cavalry Master both showed prominently, and whilst both faded as the race progressed, we should assume they may figure again in the Crystal Cup Series, the dashing grey French-bred in particular giving his young American amateur the spin of a lifetime.

After his mistake at the taxis, Donoghue allowed Stumptown time to find his rhythm again, bringing up the rear for much of the race, whilst the running was made by Sexy Lord, from Cuwall, Chelmsford and Gentleman de Reve, and so it continued as the field bunched with 11 fences to cover, and Cuwall displacing the long time leader.

After hitting a flat spot half way through, Donoghue set Stumptown to his work, making ground over each of the final five fences to range upsides approaching the last. Trainer of second -placed High In The Sky, Dalibor Török, might have thought this was his moment at the last, but Stumptown had more to give and put 1 3/4l between them by the line, the fast-finishing Caryjape putting in his best work in the finish to close the gap behind the leader to 7 3/4l.

“He gave me a great spin, he’s just a fabulous horse,” Donoghue told the packed grandstands post-race. He’s right of course, and this is a crowd that appreciates their own version of the Grand National, cheering the runners with each pass of the grandstand in scenes reminiscent of Cheltenham, a point noted by the visiting Senior Steward of the jockey Club and Chair of Aintree. In the small world of international Jump racing, Pardubice deserves recognition for creating a race when most British trainers are only starting to surface their big guns.

Happy connections The Furze Bush Syndicate with trainer Gavin Cromwell and rider Keith Donoghue ©Adrien Seite

Owners of Stumptown, The Furze Bush Syndicate, have already tasted Crystal Cu victory at Cheltenham twice, but may well follow a cross country route through the Crystal Cup given their high handicap rating. Trainer Gavin Cromwell, who can do little wrong presently, has become a master of scooping high value international races, and you can expect to see him back at Pardubice again even allowing for the 3 days his horse took to travel from Ireland.

Scan the list of runners for this year’s Velka Pardubicka and be surprised to see a smattering of Irish, British and American riders. Four of the 15 runners in fact. This is no anomaly however; there is a shortage of Czech jockeys which is encouraging Czech trainers to look further afield.

Whilst 3 of the foreign contingent have been engaged by their Irish trainers, a fourth is the enterprising James Best, who has built a loyal following of Czech handlers keen to use his horsemanship around Pardubice’s twists and turns. Best is back for a fourth ride in the famous race on Sunday, courtesy of a chance introduction to Stanislav Kovář, who trains from the centre at Doubravice.

“I’ve had a number of rides at Pardubice,” explained the likeable Englishman, now in his 17th season riding under Rules. “It came about quite by chance; I was in a WhatsApp group with Tom Garner (now training chasers in the USA), who used to ride a fair bit in the eastern European courses like Bratislava, Pardubice and at Merano in Italy, where the summer programme is much stronger than back home. He put me up for a ride in 2018 for Stanislav Kovář, where I completed in 10th. It was a unique experience I wanted to try again”.

And so he did. David Pipe ran Rathlin Rose the following year, capitalizing on Best’s previous knowledge of the course. Indeed, winners are generally to be found among Course and Distance winners, and a jockey who knows his way around is worth his weight in gold (or should one say Czech koruna). There was no fairytale, but they paid their travel expenses with a sixth place finish.

Best was back again in 2023 on the 4th placed Lombergini for Stanislav Popelka and again last October on Zataro for Marion Stangel, down the field. This year he rides Zarate for Veronika Lempochnerová, third in a shorter race over much the same course at Pardubice this time last year.

Zarate is no outsider; his preparation for this great old race has included a 2 1/2l third to last year’s winner Sexy Lord here at Pardubice in May, a race in which several of Sunday’s runners finished well behind. He has every chance given a fair run.

“I’m hoping for a good spin,” said Best yesterday. “Stumptown is the quality horse in the field, and I’ll likely follow Keith (Donoghue) or Jan (Faltejsek) around then see how the race plays out.”

The first 30 years of the race saw 18 British riders succeed around Pardubice, but British interest waned from the 1930s until amateur Chris Collins won for Arthur Stephenson in 1973, and Charlie Mann 22 years later. Ironically, there’s plenty of room for experienced steeplechase jockeys to make their talents useful here.

Let’s hope Best can use that experience to good effect on Sunday to fly the flag.

Find the runners here.