Take on favourite Easysland at Cheltenham on Friday

Easysland
3.00 Cheltenham
Sell in a match bet with the field at -0.75 lengths

Easysland was last seen winning the championship version of this cross-country race at the Cheltenham Festival by 17 lengths, so it might seem strange to take him on in terms of his winning distance now.

It needs to be borne in mind that Easysland, like Tiger Roll and Potters Corner, are basically bigger than cross-country races. That is not to disparage the race as such, rather to point out that all three are likely to have bigger aims later in the season. Easysland, for instance, is seen as a live outsider for the Gold Cup.

He is likely to need this first run since March. He certainly improved for his reappearance last year, for all that was over a shorter trip. Jonathan Plouganou is unlikely to give him the sort of ride that he would need to blow the race open again and if that is the case then a big loss on the match bet would require a failure to meaningfully trap from both Tiger Roll and Potters Corner.

The third possibility, that Easysland proves in need of the run and fades out of things late on, seems more plausible than the nightmare scenario. Sellers on the match bet are hopefully looking at either a small loss or a healthy win.

1.50 Cheltenham
Sporting (50-25-10): 16-19 Magic Saint, 15-18 On The Slopes, 13-16 Fanion D'Estruval, 11-14 Beat The Judge, 8-11 Ballywood, 6-8 Born Survivor, 5-7 Eamon An Cnoic, 2-4 Azzuri, 0.5-2 Full Glass

Match bet: On The Slopes/Beat The Judge 0.5-2

3.00 Cheltenham
Sporting (50-25-10): 33-36 Easysland, 21-24 Tiger Roll, 9-12 Potters Corner, 5-7 Vino Royale, 2-4 Little Bruce, Kings Temptation, Beau Du Brizais, Kingswell Theatre, 0.5-2 Vivas

Match bet: Easysland/the field -0.75-0.75

3.35 Cheltenham
Sporting (50-25-10): 26-29 Does He Know, 19-22 Grand Mogul, 10-13 Wild Romance, 9-12 The Grand Visir, 6-8 Polish, 4-6 Ballymillsy, Petrastar

Match bet: The field/Does He Know 1.75-3.25

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