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A candidate for forthcoming Crystal Cup races emerged over the weekend when Hemevoici triumphed in the €52,000 Grand Cross de Lignières for trainer-rider partnership François Nicolle and Thomas Beaurain.

It was coffee and croissants rather than champagne for owners Jacques and Patrice Détré. The success of French racing relies upon its visibility to punters worldwide, forcing the race to take place at the ungodly racing hour of 9.40 in the morning.

But Beaurain was well awake for this important second leg of the  Trophée National de Cross over an extended 6,000m. Handy throughout behind leader Gatsby des Planches, he joined the leader at the 18th to up the pace. Gatsby des Planches dropped his hind legs in the water, the 24th, offering a chance to Hemevoici to assert. The testing conditions forced his own error at the penultimate obstacle, letting Gatsby des Planches’ rider, Quentin Defontaine, back in on the inner. Neck and neck until 100m from the line, the two made a gripping finish before Beaurain squeezed an extra effort to win by 1 1/2l.

Irish contenders make up half the entries for next month’s Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, leg 8 of the Crystal Cup, as owners from the Emerald Isle continue to assert their authority on the Cheltenham Festival, and on this race in particular. Eight of the last 10 winners have been trained in Ireland, 5 of them from Gordon Elliott’s Cullentra powerhouse.

Elliott and Gigginstown Stud are well represented by Delta Work, winner in each of the past two runnings, and seeking to emulate Tiger Roll, winner of this race three times as well as 2 runner-up berths. Other Gigginstown entries include Conflated, winner of the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January, and Coko Beach, who warmed up for this in a cross country chase at Punchestown earlier in the month.

Conflated holds entries in the Ryanair Chase and Gold Cup and a the preferred option is most likely the former of these. Coko Beach is en route to the Grand National alongside Elliott’s other entry Galvin, owned by grocery wholesaler Ronnie Bartlett.

Henry de Bromhead has entered 2021 Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, whose sole victory this season to date was in a Grade III conditions chase at Punchestown in October, Delta Work behind him on that occasion. However, he shaped very well in Cheltenham’s December cross country – a handicap – when giving 20lbs (9kg) to the winner, Latenightpass. The third horse there, Fameaftertheglory, trained by Gavin Cromwell, who enjoys an enviable record with his Cheltenham runners this season, also reappears here, but on considerably less advantageous terms.

The Mullins team is solely represented by Stattler, also owned, like Galvin, by Ronnie Bartlett. Stattler has struggled to find winning ways since winning the National Hunt Chase at the Festival of 2022, and was behind Coko Beach in the PP Hogan Memorial cross country at Punchestown at the start of the month.

Mouse Morris aims to revisit the Winner’s Enclosure with Foxy Jacks, winner of this race back in November. Whilst that was a creditable performance in its own right, the conditions of this race put him at a disadvantage to other higher-rated horses, even though he has winning credentials.

A fascinating Grand Cross de Pau confirmed the two top exponents of cross country racing in France as favourite Hip Hop Conti reaffirmed his liking for this race with a back-to-back victory by 1 1/2l over the 2022 winner Saint Godefroy, with Harmonie Roque making up the minor placings.

The nine entries whittled down to 7 who faced the starter for this marathon chase over 6,300m (4m), run in heavy ground. A modest pace ensured the field completed without incident on a day enjoyed by nearly 10,300 spectators, many of whom enjoyed a rare view of the Cheltenham Gold Cup trophy, touring the heartland of jumping enthusiasts in this centenary year of the race, to be staged on March 15th.

Favourite Hip Hop Conti made the early running under Clement Lefebvre, with Illico and Saint Godefroy handy. However, Felix de Giles riding Saint Godefroy, opted to take it up from the fourth, precipitating a higher tempo, and the rankings remained largely unchanged until the banquette de Bordeaux for the final time, 4 out, when the pace quickened. Even then rounding the turn in, de Giles still held the advantage, but Hip Hop Conti has a powerful burst of finishing speed, and reeled in his great rival 150m out to win going away.

Lefebvre was effusive in his praise for the Clayeux team after the race, ” It’s a great reward for the work of the whole team and I’d like to thank the people around them for trusting me,” he said as he stepped off the podium. “This is what you get up for every morning, when you’re a jockey”.

Hip Hop Conti heads the entries for the Grand Cross de Pau Allianz Olivier Ournac on Sunday, in a select entry of 9. The 7 year old gelding comes into the race on the back of a brace of wins at Pau over shorter distances than the 6,300m (4m)  here, the latest at the end of last month, and will be well-fancied to repeat his success in this race in 2023.

Emmanuel Clayeux is doubly represented by 11 year old Lucky Net Love, who has run into the placings in two efforts during Pau’s winter season, and struck gold at Paray-le-Monial back in November. He is well held by Hip Hop Conti on the basis of a 7 1/2l third to him at Pau in mid-January.

A more likely threat to the supremacy of the Clayeux star comes from a combination of Illico, Solingen and St Godefroy.

6 year old Illico, trained by David Cottin,  comes into the race on the back of an unbeaten run of four wins across every discipline of the sport. He prefaced his winter campaign with a 1/2l victory over Mishka des Mottes in a 3,500m (2m 1f) hurdle race before winning a cross country at Pau in mid January over 4,100m (2m 4f). He’s yet to try this longer distance.

St Godefroy is held by Hip Hop Conti on the back of their meet here in the Prix Jean Henry Wright in January, and re-opposes on 4kg worse terms. Solingen, one of two entries trained by Daniela Mele, has been tapped for speed in each of his most recent runs, and might benefit from a stronger pace.

Emira du Gouet looks an unlikely winner, but Harmonie Roque has downed the favourite as recently as mid-December, when second in a race won by St Godefroy, Hip Hop Conti 8 1/2l back in third.

There are no runners from abroad, but British interest extends to the David Maxwell – owned Feu du Large, a nine year old trained by Patrice Quinton, who also trains St Godefroy. The longer distance may be to his liking as he’s been tapped for toe in races over shorter distances last month since winning at Durtal at the beginning of November.

Coco Beach has added to the strength of the Irish challenge for the March leg of the Crystal Cup with a stirring victory in today’s PP Hogan Memorial Cross Country at Punchestown. The  11/8 favourite was prominent throughout, taking up the running at the 18th and putting distance between him and runners-up Genois and Fameaftertheglory, who finished 6 and 11l behind.

Crystal Cup followers will have noted the presence of Jet Fighter, last seen at Pardubice, and Vital Island, who ran at Craon and Cheltenham in December, but both failed to fire on this occasion.

It can be reasonably assumed that Coco Beach will be aimed at the Grand National, having finished a 13l second to Chambard in the £85,000 Boylesports Becher Chase over the Liverpool fences back in November. But first, he’ll be tilting at the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase during next month’s Festival alongside stablemates Delta Work and Galvin.

Not even Willie Mullins, who blanket-bombed the weekend’s Dublin racinbg festival with a clean sweep of the eight Grade I races, could outpoint Coco Beach. His Stattler was a remote fourth.