This Spring’s Crystal Cup draws to a conclusion with an intriguing race for the longest of the 12 legs, and with the destination of the Crystal Cup still in the balance.

At 7,300m, or a little over 4m 4f, this is the longest race in France, on a par with the Grand National, yet the number and variety of obstacles means the race is not run at the fearsome pace of the Aintree contest. At 50 fences, this is 20 more than in Liverpool, and jumping and dexterity are at a premium.

The 19 entries include representatives from the Czech Republic and Ireland in pursuit of the coveted Anjou-Loire Challenge, and Patrice Quinton, three times a winner of this race since its introduction in 2005, has a strong hand to take the trophy back to Normandy. And with 7 points to make up on leader Josef Vana, a strong performance from two runners could just sneak the Crystal Cup too.

Vana and his leading owner, Scuderia Aichner, have embraced the Crystal Cup from the start, running horses in no less than 6 of the 11 races to date, so it’s no surprise to see the valiant Czech still out in front. He’s represented by regular traveller Gap Pierji, but this looks a tough ask for the Czech.

Whilst French horses have been less willing to travel abroad with a full cross country calendar to occupy them at home, the challenge has come from another outpost of the Crystal Cup, in Ireland. Gavin Cromwell’s two winners at Cheltenham with Stumptown arguably put up the best performance across the Crystal Cup, but Quinton, whose foreign sorties have been limited to Waregem and Merano, could still reel back the competition for the home team.

Shawninigan, winner of this race back in 2023, has struggled to find winning form since, finishing behind Miss Laura, Gamsoul and Gold Allen in a shorter contest here in late April. This race looks the key to the performance of many of the entries.

Gold Allen, the second of the Quinton three, is twice a winner of Corlay’s Grand Cross last year and in 2022, Roi Mage winning the 2023 race. He’s been campaigned just once this year, in the same prep race behind Miss Laura in late April. He’ll strip fitter for that outing.

The third candidate, Hello de Sivola, was a distant fifth to Hip Hop Conti at Pau in February on heavy ground, and got up close home to beat Uniketat in Strasbourg’s big cross country feature over Easter. Conditions here may be rather quicker however.

Miss Laura, 10 year old mare trained by Philippe & Camille Peltier, has enjoyed an ideal prep for this race, in which she finished a 10l fourth last year. She comes into this race on the back of a narrow second at Saumur, and the Class 2 Prix Bourgeanneau de Mathet here at Lion d’Angers after Easter, a race in which Hawax, Wal Cassandre, Adsum, Gold Allen, Gamsoul, Louis Malpic, Forza Conti and Shawinigen were all behind. She deserves a favourite’s position.

Gabriel Leenders also has an outstanding record in this race, winning in 2018, 2021 and the following year. He fields Gentilhomme, running on  a hat-trick since winning the Fontainebleau leg at the end of March, where he had Gamsoul 7l back in third, and where Gap Pierji never ran any sort of race. He’s likely to have champion rider Felix de Giles in the plate.

François Nicolle brings Hemevoici to this race, fresh from his triumph at Auteuil at the weekend, but the cross country genre is not his forte, and there are more obvious winners than this. the same goes for Bingo de Launay, who has been running consistently without finding the number one spot.

Espoir comes here on the back of two wins at Saumur, in one of which he had Miss Laura behind. However, he was in receipt of 6kg at the time, and now has to cede 2kg to the mare. This looks a cut above his grade.

The third in this race last year was Forza Conti, another with ground to make up on several others from that April race at Lion d’Angers. Her jumping has let her down in 2 races this year, and 50 fences may test the rider partnership to the full.

And so to the Irish challenge. A gripping finish to the la Touche Cup at Punchestown early in the month saw Three By Two running in strongly at the close to finish a length behind winner Busseltown, with previous La Touche winner Vital Island 9l further back. At 13, Vital Island retains a zest for the game long gone in many others, and nothing should be read into his last run in France, at Craon in September ’23, when he ripped off a plate in running. Denis Murphy, trainer of Three By Two, brought Another Jewel across to win this in 2010.

The third Irish candidate, Subset, was well back in that race, and is also entered in the shorter Prix Georges Bonsergent. It’s difficult to make a case for him at this level.

Final declarations are on Monday, but the destination of this year’s Crystal Cup looks set to go right to the wire.