I have sent the entire jump line at the local bike park (West Ridge at Snow Summit) on an XC race hardtail (no dropper either). You would be amazed at what a bike is capable of, the rider is almost always the hold back.
That said, pick the bike that is going to suit the majority of your riding. If most of your riding is best done on a long travel XC bike, then get that. It will barely hold you back in race conditions. If racing is more important to you, then pick the better race machine. Most people “over bike” getting way more travel than they need in the interest of cool factor or safety. And modern bikes are pretty spectacular all around.
The majority of my riding is stuff that most people don’t ride, but I love XC racing, so I have two polar opposites for bikes (40 pound, 170mm Enduro) and the aforementioned XC bike.