12 March 2020
Photo Easysland and Jonathan Plouganou : Laurence Roussel/Hippodrome
Halfway through the Cheltenham Festival, the all-around jumps championship held in England this week for four days, horses imported from France have already won five races, including two grand finals.
It is a very honourable score but the greatest victory is to be credited to Easysland (Gentlewave), a 6-year-old gelding trained in France by David Cottin who dominated the favourite Tiger Roll in the cross country, the second round of the Crystal Cup. Bred by Marinette Avril and Marie-Laure Labbé, he was boldly ridden by Jonathan Plouganou and put an end to fifteen years without a victory for French trainers in this meeting. He won from start to finish and passed the post 17 lengths ahead of a double Grand National winner, also the titleholder.
Tuesday, Épatante (No Risk At All) won the Champion Hurdle (Gr1), the festival's biggest hurdle race, for the Irishman JP McManus (who also owns Easysland), who bought her from the Lefeuvre family at the end of 2017 after she won the Prix Jacques de Vienne (Gr1-AQPS), the AQPS Derby at Saint-Cloud.
Armand Lefeuvre's former trainee, who was bred in the Sarthe by his parents Anne-Doulce and François-Xavier Lefeuvre, won her fifth race in Britain in six outings, and her second Group 1.
The next day Wednesday, Envoi Allen (Muhtathir) easily won the Baring Bingham Novices Hurdle (Gr1). Bred by Bruno Vagne in the Allier, Envoi Allen left France in October 2015, as a yearling, and was sold £ 400,000 in February 2018 after winning his point-to-point debut. He is undefeated today in eight outings under rules, including two at the Festival since he won the Festival bumper last year. The veteran Politologue (Poliglote) won the Day 2 top contest, the Queen Mother Champion Chase (Gr1). Bred by Antonia Devin, the popular grey had never won on this racecourse.
Dame de Compagnie (Lucarno) completed the French imports score at Cheltenham by winning the Coral Cup (Gr3) on Wednesday. She was bred by Nicolas de Lageneste's Haras de Saint-Voir and by Dominique Berchon.