The home-based Nitro, owned and trained by Elvira Porębna, has been withdrawn from Sunday’s Crystal Cup Steeplechase at Wroclaw, leaving just 9 to face the starter.

The withdrawal makes it almost a stone cold certainty that the PLN 172,000 (€40,000) prize will be won by a horse trained across the border in the Czech Republic. The only other Polish – trained runner is White Wood, held on Merano form by Gap Pierji, one of the two Vana runners for Scuderia Aichner. But there’s plenty of other talent lined up from the Czech Republic, including the 5 year old Pretty King, trained by Grzegorz W Wróblewski. Pretty King was bred by Eric Leray in France, himself no stranger to the cross country scene.

Vana must be fancying his chances of usurping Patrice Quinton at the top of the Crystal Cup leaderboard after this sixth leg. A win or second place from just one of his runners would be enough to leapfrog the Frenchman’s 28pt total, given that runners outside your own country earn double points. The Crystal Cup Challenge spans 12 races, with €50,000 of bonuses to be paid next Spring.

Nevertheless, the popular Wroclaw racecourse at Torpartynice is expecting a sizeable crowd for the penultimate fixture of its 12 day season. The racecourse, which first opened in 1907, offers free admission, in itself a guarantee of an inexpensive family day out. The first of 10 races is at 11am.