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Hip Hop Conti will go to post a red-hot favourite on Sunday to land a third consecutive Grand Cross de Pau, following the final declarations which see the 19 entries whittle down to nine runners. The Emanuel Clayeux trained 7 year old relishes the stiff 6,300m test and impressive obstacles around Pau, and ground conditions to suit. Clement Lefebvre will take the ride again.

The race has a familiar refrain from 2024, with runner-up Saint Godefroy re-opposing, as well as Illico and Solingen, who made up the minor placings. Patrice Quinton, who has brought Saint Godefroy down from Dragey-Ronthon, also runs Hello de Sivola, who was paying his way without hitting the number one spot before parting company with his rider here at Pau 3 weeks ago in a shorter cross country over 4,700m. Between the pair, Quinton fares a reasonable chance of narrowing the gap on Crystal Cup leader Josef Vana, currently 11pts.

Any upset is most likely to come from Riskman, a 5l second to Iceo Madrik in the listed Grand Cross de Compiegne in November. This was, however, something of an anomaly, as the eventual winner was baulked early on, and ran his own race far in the rear until rejoining the field late on. The form may be questionable.

Isagirl is unproven over this distance, and the seven year old Ici Avrilly has 10 1/2l to make up on Hip Hop Conti based on their run in the Prix Mortimer Lassence here in mid December. At the very least, she should get the trip and may run into the minor placings.

An all-French field for the Grand Cross de Pau Allianz Olivier Ournac – Prix Gaston de Bataille offers a further chance to French trainers David Cottin and Patrice Quinton to reassert their credentials for the Crystal Cup.

This eighth leg of the pan-European cross country challenge presents the longest race yet, at 6,300m (3m 7f & 100yds), and a testing ground for a tilt at the Cheltenham Festival cross country race 4½  weeks hence.

But this Pau listed contest is no prep race, but a showcase for the cream of French cross country steeplechasing, headed up by two-time winner of this race, Hip Hop Conti, under the wise tutelage of Emanuel Clayeux. Clayeux doesn’t venture far beyond Pau with the 8 year old who loves this track and mid-winter ground conditions. A win and a second, giving 3kg to winner Saint Godefroy, who re-opposes here, in Pau’s season these past 2 months, should allow him to reverse placings with his old rival in this level weights contest. However, it’s no foregone conclusion; 2½ l separated them in this race 12 months ago, so the margin is hardly definitive.

Both Clayeux and Quinton, trainers of the respective favourites, may be two-handed in Pau’s big race this weekend. Six year old Lovely Kap has 4l to make up on Saint Godefroy on their running in the 4,700m Prix Hubert de Navailles in mid-December at Pau, in which Riskman was also behind, but the mare is a relative youngster. She’s yet to be tested over this extended distance.

Patrice Quinton, sitting on an 11pt deficit to Crystal Cup leader, Josef Vana, has two further entries. Hard Roc de Kerser has been running over shorter distances, and been found flat-footed in 3 runs where he’s been runner-up, so the longer distance may suit. There seems no reason why Hello de Sivola should reverse placings with Hip Hop Conti on their December form here either, when he was well beaten. However, any placed effort will put Quinton within spitting distance of Josef Vana with two more races in France to come. Home advantage may come into play here.

Current Trainer Leaderboard standings

The Peltier stable can never be underestimated in a race of this nature. However, Interdit de Jeu looked one-paced against Hip Hop Conti and Saint Godefroy in the Prix John Henry Wright at Pau in mid-January when receiving weight, so conditions are not in his favour.

Marc Nicolau fields two in the race, but neither is likely to trouble the judge. I’m Walkin has now gone 25 races without a win; 11 year old Go’N Win looks well exposed too.

Solingen is one of two entries for Daniele de Mela, and a sound trial for this race with a 6l victory in January over this course, but not this extended distance, means he is at least unbeaten this season, since running fifth in this event 12 months back. Both Hello de Sivola and David Cottin’s Illico were behind that day. Her other candidate, Iridia, was among the unplaced horses in the Prix John Henry Wright a month back, and has something to find.

David Cottin had high hopes of creating a Cheltenham Festival fancy with Iceo Madrik in the December Crystal Cup qualifier at Cheltenham, but an early exit made that rather inconclusive. Illico doesn’t look up to this class yet, and would be a surprise winner here.

A more probable upset could come from Riskman, Eric Grall’s 5l second in Compiegne’s big cross country in November. On that performance, he’d be thereabouts, although he found Saint Godefroy too good back at Pau in mid-December.

The entries are completed by two recent winners in Ici Avrilly, a 7 year old from the Seror stable, and Isagirl from Jacques Delauney. Both have acquitted themselves well to date, but this is a step up in class.

Final declarations are on Thursday February 6^th.

Stumptown justified his 4/1 favouritism in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Friday, adding a second Irish winner to the ranks of Crystal Cup horses in this year’s challenge.

Keith Donoghue rode a patient race in mid-division , coming between horses at the last to land the odds rather cheekily from Mister Coffey, the Henderson novice filling the runner-up berth a second time in this genre of race. Latenightpass, briefly in the lead on the run-in, was swallowed up by the other two to finish 1 4 1/4l third.

Iceo Madrik, one of two runners David Cottin had sent to Cheltenham’s December fixture, was an early casualty, unseating Thomas Jouniac at the third fence. Cottin didn’t return home empty-handed however, as Jet Blue set up a tilt at the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle at the Festival the following day with a 6l win in the 3m hurdle of the same name.

The early pace was set by Vanillier and Escaria Ten, with top weights Delta Work and Mister Coffey in close attendance, Stumptown, Three By Two, Coko Beach and Arizona Cardinal not far behind. This leading group cut out the pace until the third last, when Escaria Ten bid to make the race his own, Latenightpass and Stumptown in pursuit.

Donoughue has a mind to March, and it showed. As he guided Stumptown through the leading pair on a tight rein, his was a finish with the handicap mark in mind for 3 months hence. The winning distance of a length could have been considerably more were this a conditions chase. Trainer Gavin Cromwell has campaigned very successfully at Cheltenham, and departed Cheltenham on Friday to fly to Bahrain for flat runners in the week to come.

Iceo Madrik’s fall leaves the leaderboard largely unchanged. Josef Vana retains a commanding lead with 39, Patrice Quinton and David Cottin on 28 and 22. Unsurprisingly, the leading owner remains Scuderia Aichner with a 10pt lead over Iceo Madrik’s owner Caroline Tisdall. The leading horse, however is Patrick Griffin’s Roi Mage, winner at Craon back in September.

The Crystal Cup takes a break now until February, when the Grand Cross de Pau sets the scene for a return to France for 3 of the remaining 5 legs.

Sixteen stand their ground in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, leg 7 of the Crystal Cup, in what promises to be a fascinating contest on good to soft ground.

The French tricolor was raised over Cheltenham a month ago when Sweet David won the first of Cheltenham’s 3 cross country contests. This time around, progressive 6 year old Iceo Madrik bids to put trainer David Cottin back among the winners at Cheltenham 4 years on from winning over the same course and distance with Easysland in March 2020.

The handily-weighted Iceo Madrik comes here on the back of a solid win of leg 6 of the Crystal Cup at Compiegne in early November, a race avoided by Gariel Leenders with Sweet David, who took the Cheltenham route. That win enhances the form. Thomas Journiac takes the ride.

A win for Iceo Madrik would allow Cottin to wrest the initiative in pursuit of the Crystal Cup. Currently in third place on 21 pts, 18 behind leader Josef Vana, a win would bring him within 6pts of the leader with the remaining races in the Series taking place in western Europe, 3 in France. Vana is unlikely to run in England, although Punchestown may be an option to protect his lead.

The Frenchman is unlikely to have it all his own way on Friday however, with plenty of candidates looking to burnish their credentials for a Festival entry en route to the Grand National. Stumptown, Latenightpass, Mister Coffey, Arizona Cardinal, Coko Beach and Vanillier are six whose intentions have been plain from the outset.

Stumptown comes here fresh from success in a banks race at Punchestown; Latenightpass won this race last year before acquitting himself well in the National; Mister Coffey finished second to Sweet David a month ago; Arizona Cardinal will strip fitter for his seasonal bow at Chepstow in October but is yet to sample the unique obstacles of the cross country genre; Coko Beach would have finished close in the Velka Pardubicka but for unseating 4 out, whilst Vanillier was well behind Stumptown at Punchestown.

Gordon Elliott has solid claims on this race through his five runners. Delta Work is a winner of the March equivalent and his top weight is eased by the booking of amateur rider Rob James, who claims 7lb. Coko Beach’s credentials are also solid, and Carl Millar’s 5lb allowance reduces his burden to 11st 5lb.

The stable pick appears to be Chemical Energy, whom Sam Ewing has selected to ride. Ewing has the pick of the Elliott runners in the absence of stable jockey Jack Kennedy. James Bowen and Danny Gilligan pick up the rides on the two remaining Elliott runners Gevrey and The Goffer.

Joseph Patrick O’Brien has left both his entries in. Fakir d’Oudairies is no slouch, running in graded company recently, and this drop in class may support his claim, whilst stablemate Bussleton was well beaten in the corresponding race a month ago.

Denis Murphy sends over Three By Two, who was second to Stumptown at Punchestown, and can reverse that form on more favourable terms this time around. Sam Twiston-Davies takes the ride.

The field is completed by outsiders Statuario and Escaria Ten for the Bowen and Keighley stables, both of whom have ground to make up.

The seventh leg of the Crystal Cup is set to enjoy an international field again as battle is joined between British, Irish and 2 French challengers.

A month ago, Gabriel Leenders flew the tricolor for France when winning an identical cross country race at Cheltenham, albeit not part of the Crystal Cup, with Sweet David. This time around, it is David Cottin who is trying his hand with progressive 6yo Iceo Madrik, who put 10 others to the sword by 5l in leg 6 of the series, the Grand Cross Country Steeplechase at Compiegne a month ago, a race avoided by Sweet David for the easier contest at Cheltenham at the end of the same week. Iceo Madrik is on a hattrick, and it must be hoped the weather doesn’t play a part in preventing him attending, as on a light weight, he has been given a big chance to shine and put Cottin right in the frame for the Crystal Cup as the series oscillates back toward France.

Iceo Madrik may well be joined by the Guillaume Fabre – trained Izino d’Airy, who despite his maiden status, has been running valiantly in heavy conditions at Auteuil and Compiegne this autumn, albeit he is untried over this distance. He may find the faster pace of races in Britain a more testing affair.

A clutch of Grand National pretenders are entered, seeking to burnish their credentials before the world’s most valuable steeplechase in April.

Mister Coffey will be aiming to go one better than his second to Sweet David a month ago. His 6 1/2l beating that day finds him still seeking a first win over fences at this, his 15th attempt.

Latenightpass found his return to Aintree for the Becher Chase a tough ask, but he is 2 from 2 over these obstacles, and should be respected. With a rating of 144, weight may tell as he’s carrying 5lb more than the 10st 8 of this time last year.

A case can be made for fellow hunter chase graduate Gabiorot, under the direction of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.  Winner of hunter chases at Cheltenham and Cartmel in May, the 8yo opened his season with a 4 1/4l third to King Turgeon in Aintree’s Becher Chase. He looks on the upgrade still, and would be a handsome replacement for Gesskille, fatally injured in this race 12 months ago.

A third hunter chase graduate, Deise Aba, has something to find against these higher rated horses on the basis of his win in a hunters contest at Stratford in the Spring.

Vanillier is one of two entries for Gavin Cromwell, and one of the 14 contenders from across the Irish Sea. Cromwell has an outstanding record from a sparing but highly targeted team of runners at Cheltenham. Fourteen winners from 63 runners these past 5 seasons tell their own story, and the tallywag reads just one in this term to date, so success is well overdue. Vanillier is yet to show anythinbg like the dizzy form that saw him finish a 2 1/4l second to Corach Rambler in the 2023 Grand National, and it may be argued his best days are behind him.

Stumptown from the same stable comes here on a hattrick after banks success at Punchestown in May and November, where he beat fellow entry Three By Two from Denis Paul Murphy’s Enniscorthy yard.

Gordon Elliott has entered 7 of the 14 Irish contenders, which include Chemical Energy, a 5 1/2l third to Real Steel in October’s Munster National; Coko Beach, who has proven form over cross country obstacles, and despite finishing behind Stumptown at Punchestown last month, would have gone very close in the Velka Pardubicka in early October but for unseating his rider 4 out; Irish Gold Cup winner Delta Work is a second Gigginstown entry, and won the March equivalent race here in both 2022 and 2023. Form this season is unremarkable, but a look back to April serves to remind you this is no back number. His 7 1/2l second to I Am Maximus in the Grand National gives him the highest rating in the field.

Fakir d’Alene,  Gevrey, The Goffer and Wine An Dine, the remaining Elliott entries, both have some way to make up to be in the reckoning here.

Tommie Beau seized his chance in the corresponding race a month ago before dramatically running out with 3f to run. He owes owner Peter Prout no favours, having won handicaps around the smaller tracks for several years. Whilst the November race was a weaker contest than usual, Seamus Mullins’ flagbearer deserves better than that, and is certainly a candidate for the places.

Cheltenham has long been a destination racecourse for the Keighleys, since both Belinda and Martin worked for the course. In Back On The Lash, they have a former winner of the cross country, third in the most recent running a month ago. Escaria Ten’s form figures are unreassuring, and he is unproven over this genre of obstacle or the trip, but the variety may be a tonic, as it has been for many reaching their veteran years.

Arizona Cardinal, winner of the Topham Chase at Aintree in the Spring, is a fascinating addition to the cross country ranks, and a first runner in this type of race for trainer Stuart Edmunds. He was pulled up in the Becher Chase, but if returning to his form of the Spring, is a live candidate under Charlie Hammond. Fellow also-ran Percussion at Aintree looks an improbable winner.

Both John McConnochie and Joseph Patrick O’Brien have entered two each. Bodhisattva has been well beaten in two banks races at Punchestown, whilst Streets of Doyen’s jumping has been found wanting in two cross country races this autumn. Fakir d’Oudairies put in a career best in the Melling Chase at Aintree 20 months ago, and might appreciate this drop in class whilst stablemate Busselton has something to find on his sixth to Sweet David a month ago.

Final declarations are made on Wednesday.