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
Josef Vana (CZ) | 39 |
Patrice Quinton (FR) | 28 |
David Cottin (FR) | 21 |
P Griffin (IRE) | 16 |
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 6th.