Hippodrome de Pau will brace itself for a searching winter examination on Tuesday, January 13, when an eight-race programme brings together flat racing, hurdles, steeplechase and the track’s signature cross-country test. Scheduled from 11:47am to 3:57pm, the card will demand versatility and resilience, with the afternoon building steadily toward the €48,000 PRIX JOHN HENRY WRIGHT, the defining contest of the day.
The meeting will open on the flat with Race 1, the PRIX DE MOMAS, a Class 2 event for three-year-old colts, geldings and fillies over 2000 metres at 11:47am. With five runners declared and prize money of €20,100, the race will also serve as a qualifier for Class 1 handicaps, immediately setting a competitive tone and offering early insight into emerging middle-distance talent.
Attention will then turn sharply to endurance in Race 2, the feature PRIX JOHN HENRY WRIGHT #1 TROPHEE NATIONAL DU CROSS H. DU LION-PMU at 12:19pm. Run over a demanding 5000 metres, this Class 1 cross-country contest for horses aged six and above will ask serious questions of stamina, balance and jumping fluency. With six runners set to face Pau’s distinctive banks and obstacles, the €48,000 prize ensures a contest of depth and prestige, firmly anchoring the card.
Contenders: Kouroukoukou, Special Du Rocher, Illico, Jack Lux, Saint Godefroy, Here Avrilly
Jumping action will continue with Race 3 at 12:55pm, the PRIX ETALON LAVELLO – HARAS DU LION (PRIX DE BIDART). This Class 4 hurdle over 3500 metres is restricted to four-year-old colts and geldings and has attracted a strong field of 13 runners competing for €32,000. Youthful energy and raw potential are expected to define the contest.
Race 4, the PRIX DE LA NAVARRE, will follow at 1:27pm. This Class 3 hurdle over the same 3500-metre distance is open to horses aged five and above, with nine runners declared and €34,000 on offer. Experience and tactical judgment should come to the fore as the afternoon progresses.
Flat racing will return at 2:12pm with Race 5, the PRIX HARAS DE GELOS, a 2000-metre contest for Arabian-bred horses aged four and above, registered in WAHO-affiliated stud books. Ten runners will line up for this €17,000 race, adding international flavour and breed diversity to the programme.
The hurdles resume at 2:47pm with Race 6, the PRIX DU PONT-LONG, a claiming race for five-year-olds over 3800 metres. With 11 runners and prize money of €19,000, this contest is likely to be run at a genuine tempo, rewarding bold jumping and tactical positioning.
Race 7 at 3:22pm will shift the focus back to the flat with the PRIX DU BEARN, a Class 3 handicap over 1400 metres for four-year-old colts, geldings and fillies. Eleven runners will compete for €22,100, with speed and racecraft expected to play decisive roles late in the card.
The meeting will conclude at 3:57pm with the steeplechase PRIX DE FEZENSAC, a Class 2 contest over 3900 metres for five-year-old stallions, geldings and mares. Fourteen runners will tackle the fences for €37,000, providing a fittingly robust finale to a demanding afternoon.
From developmental flat races to elite cross-country action, Pau Racecards 13 January promises a thorough test of skill, stamina and adaptability, reaffirming the course’s reputation as one of winter racing’s most exacting stages.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to RaceBuzz.