French imports become British racing's delight

Horses imported from France continue to shine oover jumps in Britain and Ireland this season.

This Saturday evening December 14, they won six of the ten Group 1 races disputed this season in Great Britain and Ireland, but also 11 of the 30 Group2s on the fixtures list, that is to say 17 of the 40 combined, or 42.5%.

Friday, two weeks after a first French double in a cross-country chase at Cheltenham by two horses trained by Emmanuel Clayeux, the David Cottin yard also placed its two representatives first and second in the Glenfarclas Cross-Country, the final round of the Crystal Cup. Ridden with Jonathan Plouganou, the 5-year-old Easysland (Gentlewave) beat his stablemate Amazing Comedy (Great Pretender) and James Reveley.

For Easysland, an AQPS bred in Mayenne by Marinette Avril and Marie-Laure Labbé, it was a fifth consecutive winning cross after a series of three falls successively between November and last January! Easysland is owned by Chris Edwards, David Futter and his trainer. He was bought for € 20,000 at 3 at Tattersalls Ireland by Yorton Farm, the stud farm of Edwards and Futter where Gentlewave, Easysland's sire, resides.

The Frenchbreds won two new Group races on Saturday at the British jumps Mecca. Warthog (Martaline), a son of the champion mare Shekira, won the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Chase (Gr3) while the 6-year-old Call Me Lord (Slickly) won the International Hurdle (Gr2) for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

The first is a 7-year-old gelding bred in the Hautes-Pyrénées, like his dam, by Thierry Seguinotte. Shekira raced under the breeder's colors and she won seven races over hurdles at Auteuil, including the Prix Renaud du Vivier 4yo Hurdle (Gr1), before experiencing her first defeat over obstacles. Warthog, her second and best foal to date, was purchased for € 55,000 at 3 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sales. Warthog is now racing for Caroline Tisdall and Bryan Dew, two owners who met at their trainer's yard, David Pipe.

Call Me Lord started his career with Mickaël Seror in Chantilly before being exported to Great Britain. Bred by Roger Marot in Sarthe, it was bought for € 6,500 at Arqana breeding sales at eight months by the FIPS Agency. He won two races for Jacques Seror, the trainer's uncle, before leaving France. It was his fourth success across the Channel, his second at this level, and his first at Cheltenham, where he had never ran before. He could therefore try his luck in March at the Festival in the Champion Hurdle (Gr1), the same course and distance bracket.