A strong entry of 24 marks this year’s Grand Flanders Steeplechase at Waregem on September 1st, the opening leg of the 12 race Crystal Cup, featuring the winners in each of the past two years.

Speed Emile, just 6 when he won this race 12 months ago, meets the 2024 winner Placenet, representing the sporting owner Caroline Tisdall. However, Crystal Cup rivals Patrice Quinton and Josef Vana are strongly represented, the Normandy trainer with no less than 9 entries, Vana with 3.

Speed Emile has enjoyed a fruitful 12 months, rarely finishing out of the frame and scoring twice in graded company at Merano. Interchanging between hurdles and chases, he’s shown good versatility and been well placed since scoring here in a rare first Flanders Steeplechase triumph for Guillaume Macaire and Hector Lageneste. It’s no surprise to see him entered here for a repeat, given the style of his success then., and he’s likely to be sent off favourite, despite top weight.

Placenet, second to Speed Emile last year, receives 3kg, a miserly concession by the handicapper given his disappointing exploits at Cheltenham that followed Waregem. In preparation for March, David Cottin sent him over for the December leg of the Crystal Cup to finish an 11l fourth to Final Orders. Albeit that was over a longer distance of 3m 5f, a full mile further, he looked one-paced, and he was already well beaten when pulling up before the last when returning for a second crack in January. There seems no reason he would alter the placings with the younger horse.

Both trainers may be double-handed however. Team Royan field 7 year old Jet d’Estruval, who is riding high on a hat-trick after a short head chase success at Meral, followed by a sharpener over hurdles at Pompadour last month. This handicap is quite a step up from his Meral success, but he’s on the upgrade and in receipt of 6.5kg from the topweight.

Also 7, Hill of Bamboo is another seeking a hat-trick for Cottin after a 2l success in a limited handicap at Strasbourg in mid June, and a 1 3/4l victory over the smaller obstacles at Dieppe last month, so as not to compromise his handicap mark. He is in receipt of an attractive 9kg over Speed Emile.

The last 3 years have seen a stream of Czech-trained horses purchased in France competing in the Crystal Cup, ensuring Josef Vana the overall Crystal Cup winner twice in the last 3 seasons. He is one to capitalize on the early fixtures, particularly here and at Merano, although now his principal owner has died, that momentum may be halted. Let us hope not for the spirit of international competition.

The Aichner-Vana partnership has registered 3 contenders for our opening race in Chez Desmonmirail, Krokodile Dundee and Grand de Thaix. the old man of the party, Grand de Thaix finished fourth here 12 months back, but evidence of his runs this summer in Merano suggests he is tapped for toe.

Vana’s other pair have been running up against each other in races at Merano this summer. Krokodile Dundee got the best of this clash in a chase over 3,900m in early May by 6l, but those placings were reversed in the Gr I Grand Premio d’Europa 3 weeks later, albeit both were behind topweight Speed Emile. All three may clash again in Merano’s Crystal Cup leg in late September, a more likely denouement than Waregem.

Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm have never won this race, but their syndicate, the Franglais Partnership, is represented in a pair of runners entered, one in the Grand Steeplechase, one in the lower value Prix Rallye Waregem. Eight year old Iltone doesn’t know how to run a poor race. Bought out of a Hexham novices hurdle for £20,000, he has been successfully campaigned in France to win 8 races to date and over €165,000. Small but with the heart of a lion, this is nevertheless a considerable step up in class.

Patrice Quinton is no stranger to success in this race, and his 9 entries illustrate an appetite to add to that record. Winners all nine, his choice as to how many to run will dictate the volume of runners in the field, which often cuts up to under 8.  Youngster of the party Loyd d’Erable is a 5 year old, but hasn’t been seen on the track since winning at Lignières in March; seven year old Winteriscoming has been hitting the crossbar regularly, but his inability to secure a win suggests he may be one-paced in a finish; Fan d’Apples is held on Lion’Angers form against him in May; Kiss Kiss has revealed some decent form in the past, but nothing since being pulled up in a Gr III at Auteuil in the Spring and is best watched.

The most encouraging indicators come from four: Jeriko de Kerser is a winner over course and distance, in a different race here 12 months ago, since when he has run just once, a distant 6th to Galant Chaba at Sennones in July, a race in which Speed Emile finished second; Easter Sunday is the 2l winner of the Grand Steeplechase de Toulouse at the end of May; Jibe de Dunes won the Grand Cross at Granville in August 2025 and is entered for its repeat this weekend; and 9 year old Premier Vert won at Haras du Pin last October, but hasn’t troubled the judge since. Despite his strong entry, there are other more obvious candidates, provided they stand their ground.

You’re never advised to leave François Nicolle out of the reckoning in major races, and in 6 year old Konfiner, he has a horse on the upgrade. Four from four in 2026, these have included facile wins at Pompadour in July which suggests this is a horse with upward momentum, ready for Gr I company.

Gabriel Leenders fields Dieppe winner Lady Lady whilst the Peltier combination have entered Keep Calm Dariyan, who continues to defy high weights in handicaps at Lignières, Lion d’Angers and Dieppe this summer.

The  final three include a pair under the guidance of Arnaud Chaille-Chaille in seven year old L’Arriabato, a recent handicap winner at Clarefontaine, and Heraliste, and the Anne-Laure Guidoux – trained winner of an amateurs cross country at Le Dorat, who will need to step up in class to win this.