Josef Vana campaigns his horses regularly during the summer at Merano, and that course experience paid off in spades as his four runners put him in a commanding lead in the Crystal Cup after the third leg at this most picturesque of alpine venues.

The gallant Gap Pierji, who has featured in so many Crystal Cup races these past 2 seasons, enjoyed a copybook race under Jan Kratochvil, hunting round in rear until half way, then taking it up to make the best of his way home. An uncharacteristically clumsy jump at the last left him flat-footed, and unable to fend off the challenge of stable companion Laldann, going down by 3/4l.

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Take nothing from the winner however. Twice a winner here over shorter distances since April, he was handy from halfway, letting Gap Pierji make the running after the exit of the youngster of the field, Jeriko de Kerser, who unseated his rider just as the race was beginning in earnest at the Passage de Merano, the two element sunken road. Laldann was returned at 1.68, a warm co-favourite of 4 under Italian totalisator rules where horses are in the same ownership.

As Gap Pierji spread-eagled his field with 6f to travel, stablemate Almost Human and Flavius were never far away, but Laldann responded to Josef Bartos’ urgings, and showed good speed from the second last.

Vana’s effort turns the Crystal Cup leaderboard on its head, giving the travelling Czech a well-deserved 40pts, twice the score of his nearest rival, Patrice Quinton. There are, however, still 9 legs to go, 4 of which are in France, so time enough for the king of French cross country to reassert.

Connections fly the flag at the presentation of Italy’s best known cross country chase

Scuderia Aichner, Vana’s principal patron, have shown considerable verve in pursuing races in France and among the Crystal Cup’s other countries, in pursuit of success. Their French-breds are more than capable of taking on the challenge of British & Irish races, and it is to be hoped they may try their hand at Cheltenham.

See full result here