Owner JP McManus
Owner JP McManus

JP McManus snaps up French Cross Country ace Easysland


Easysland, current second-favourite for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, has changed hands and will now carry the green and gold silks of leading owner JP McManus.

The six-year-old looks the main danger to title-holder and dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll and will remain in the care of Lamorlaye-based trainer David Cottin.

A best-priced 6/1 ante-post for Cheltenham, Easysland was most recently seen grinding out an impressive seven length win over stablemate Amazing Comedy in December’s running of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase where he started a heavily backed 5/2 favourite for the three-mile, six-furlong contest.

Former champion jockey Cottin has confirmed that Easysland, who is a son of Gentlewave (standing at Easysland’s previous owner’s Yorton Farm Stud), will remain in training in France and says he's honoured to have a horse carrying such prestigious silks within his rapidly growing string.

"It is a huge pride to have an owner like this in the yard, not only that but also a great trust as Easysland will remain with us here in France, he’s a lovely horse and we were delighted with his Cheltenham win in December”, said the trainer from his winter base at Pau.

“I rode the last ever winner of my career as a jockey in these silks when Demopolis won in Auteuil back in 2017, so it's nice to be re-associated once again with Mr McManus."

Young trainer Cottin is in tremendous form at the moment having already notched up 19 winners at Pau’s winter meeting.

That victory in December saw Easysland complete a perfect five wins from his five most recent runs in this discipline having superbly ridden by jockey Jonathan Plouganou and puts the gelding at the forefront of the list of possible runners for the race's leading owner.

McManus is bidding to win the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase for a seventh time in the race's short 15-year history, following victories with the likes of Spothedifference, Garde Champetre and more recently Cause Of Causes.

Easysland is currently the only JP McManus-owned horse trained in France and looks set to run once more prior to Cheltenham - in the ‘Grand Cross de Pau’ on February 2 for which entries are finalised on Friday morning.

Courtesy of @CharlyMilpied

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