Tag Archive for: JP McManus

Mullins has sights firmly fixed on National repeat with I Am Maximus

Willie Mullins has his eyes firmly fixed on a Randox Grand National repeat with last season’s Aintree hero I Am Maximus.

Almost 20 years on from claiming his first victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase with Hedgehunter in 2005, the master of Closutton doubled his tally on Merseyside in April, with I Am Maximus justifying his status as a 7-1 joint-favourite with a dominant display under Paul Townend.

With a revised mark of 169, only three staying chasers are rated higher than the JP McManus-owned eight-year-old, namely his dual Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning stablemate Galopin Des Champs, Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe and the Martin Brassil-trained Fastorslow.

However, while I Am Maximus would be fully entitled to pursue the Gold Cup dream himself this term, all roads lead back to Aintree.

I Am Maximus with trainer Willie Mullins and the Randox team
I Am Maximus with trainer Willie Mullins and the Randox team (John Grossick/The Jockey Club)

“He’s summered very well and strengthened up, I’m very happy with him,” Mullins said at a press morning at his yard on Wednesday.

“He was a novice of course this time last year, so he was able to win the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase in Fairyhouse.

“I haven’t picked a starting point for him yet this year. Last year he went to the Savills Chase in Leopardstown, then he went to the Irish Gold Cup and then the Bobbyjo Chase. I would imagine those three races will be his targets for this year and then back to Aintree for another go at the National.”

I Am Maximus carried 11st 6lb to National glory – and with the top-weight capped at 11st 12lb, Mullins can see no reason why he will not put up a staunch defence of his crown on April 5.

He added: “In reality he’s not going to have a lot more weight than last year because he carried over 11st, so it’s not like a 10st 5lb horse going up to 11st 5lb or something – and he’s matured and he’s still maturing.

“I was really delighted with how he came back from a summer’s grass and how strong he came back, so I think he could make that jump and carry the weight, at least that’s what we hope.

“After the National last year I said I think he’s a Gold Cup horse and I still do, but I think connections are much happier to go back for the National and have another good go at it.

“Paul gave him a fantastic ride last year. He rode him so cool and so cold and then when he asked him to go, to quicken like he did, I don’t think we’ve seen a horse do that for years in Aintree.

“We’re going to have to take whatever the handicapper gives us, but when you look at what he did in the last half-mile last year, you’d be hoping he’ll be able to rise to it.”

He went on: “It was a bit surreal to see him do what he did last year, in the manner than he did it. He’s matured late in life and I think the Aintree fences really caught his attention and he settled into being a proper racehorse, so I think that’s what is going to suit him going back there. Some horses just love Aintree and I think he could be one of those.

“Red Rum won three and Tiger Roll won two and I think JP would be keen to have a horse that can do that – win two and maybe go on for a third one.

“If you don’t try you don’t succeed, so that’s our plan.”

Mullins might have over 100 Cheltenham Festival winners under his belt and countless other big-race wins on home soil and abroad, but the significance of the National is not lost on the 68-year-old.

Hedgehunter and Ruby Walsh winning the 2005 Grand National at Aintree
Hedgehunter and Ruby Walsh winning the 2005 Grand National at Aintree (David Davies/PA)

“I was lucky to have Hedgehunter and we felt at the time that was fantastic and we’ll probably never win another one. Most trainers don’t, if they win one then they’re very lucky,” he said.

“To win the Aintree National is every kid’s dream. For most of us it’s the first instance of watching a race on TV and with the romance of it and the stories behind it, I think when I first started training if someone asked me which race do you want to win it would be the Grand National.

“It’s a dream come true twice.”

I Am Maximus’ lucrative success of course played a part in Mullins becoming the first Irish-based handler since the legendary Vincent O’Brien 70 years earlier to be crowned champion trainer in Britain, setting up a sensational end to the season which also saw him take out the Scottish Grand National with Macdermott and the bet365 Gold Cup with Minella Cocooner.

However, while he will not give up his title without a fight, Mullins feels it will be difficult to replicate those achievements.

I Am Maximus on the gallops at Closutton
I Am Maximus on the gallops at Closutton (John Grossick/The Jockey Club)

He said: “We knew we had a good chance going to Aintree, but to win the National was going to put us right in the mix and this guy did it for us, so it was all to play for after that.

“We’ll be batting away like we were last year and hopefully he can come good again and we might have something else in the race.

“Last year was just extraordinary, the way we won the National, the bet365 Gold Cup and the Scottish National. We don’t dream that we’re going to do that again, but if we could get one it would be a huge help.

“We got every bounce of the ball last spring and it was unbelievable the way things happened. In those big handicaps in Ayr and Sandown we won photo finishes and then there was Impaire Et Passe in the three-way photo finish in the Aintree Hurdle.

“If someone said to me at the start of the year, this is what is going to happen to a trainer in the last three months of the season, I’d have said that’s Disneyland/Hollywood stuff, that doesn’t happen.

“It’s probably a once in a lifetime thing, but we’ve done it, 70 years after Vincent O’Brien.”



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Price Movement in NH Racing Markets

In a recent article I compared the Early Morning Odds of horses (EMO) with their Opening Show odds (OS) and their final Industry Starting Price (SP) for UK Flat racing, writes Dave Renham. In this piece I will revisit the idea but the focus now is on UK National Hunt racing. Data has been taken from 1st January 2021 to 30th September 2024. How similar will the patterns be? Let’s take a look...

Strike rates by market movement profile

To begin with let's make the process easier by using abbreviations for the different price movements. So, for horses that shorten in price I will use the abbreviation ‘S’; for horses that remain the same price I will use ‘R’; for those that drift in price (lengthen) I will use the abbreviation ‘D’.

There are nine possible combinations in terms of price movement within these two timeframes (EMO to OS, and OS to SP). Below is a graph showing the percentage of runners for each price movement combination.

 

 

As you would expect the bar chart is similar to that which we saw when analysing flat data. The D/D group made up roughly a quarter of all runners and is comfortably the most likely pattern to be seen of the nine.

Performance Metrics by market movement profile

Now that we know how likely each combination is to occur we can examine the combinations in more detail by breaking down their performance in terms of strike rate, profitability, ROI% and A/E indices:

 

 

Two of the three combinations where a drift occurred between EMO and SP, D/D and R/D, produced by far the worst figures across all the metrics (SR%, ROI% and A/E indices). In fact, both combos would have lost you significant money if betting to BSP. The D/D group would have lost you 13p in the £, the R/D group lost a whopping 22p in the £. To put this into perspective if you simply backed all NH runners in every race over this time frame you would have lost just under 6p in the £ betting to Betfair SP.

Shorten / Shorten (S/S) Runners

The best figures came from the horses that shortened in price in both time frames – the S/S group. It makes sense to explore the S/S group in more detail given they have produced the best overall performance. I want to start by breaking the S/S results down by National Hunt Race Type. I will look at A/E indices first:

 

 

As can be seen the figures for chases and hurdles are virtually identical, but there is a steep drop off down to the A/E index for NH Flat races (also called bumpers). On to the Return on Investment percentages (ROI%) now to see what they show. The ROI%s are based onto Industry Starting Price returns:

 

 

There is positive correlation between the A/E indices and the ROI% figures at SP, with losses far greater for NH Flat runners who have the S/S profile. This is reflected at Betfair SP, too, with chase and hurdle qualifiers losing 4p in the £, NH Flat qualifiers more than 11p from every pound. Why this is the case is probably because NH Flat races tend to be made up of relatively unexposed horses. Hence, some horses will be supported in the betting based on what they might have shown away from the racetrack. Others will be backed solely due the trainer or the owner rather than the form or inherent ability of the individual horse in question. Hence punters and bookmakers are not always able to base their opinion on cold hard facts in these bumper races.

Sticking with the S/S group let me share how well these runners have performed in terms of Class of Race. Here are the full splits (there were only a handful of Class 6 events, hence they have been lumped together with the Class 5 stats):

 

 

The figures suggest that the S/S group has performed less well at either end of the class spectrum. Qualifiers from both Classes 2 and 3 made blind profits to BSP which is perhaps no surprise given their high A/E indices.

If we focus on the Class 1 races and look at the subset of Grade 1 to Grade 3 races the figures for the S/S group are poor – 66 wins from 511 qualifiers (SR 12.9%) for a loss to SP of £155.56 (ROI –30.4%). The A/E index stands at a lowly 0.75 and even to BSP losses were steep at £137.59 (ROI –26.9%). Horses that are constantly backed through the day, and then again late on, do not look the safest betting propositions in these Graded contests.

My next port of call was to look at the A/E indices of the S/S group of runners in terms of what odds they were priced up first in the morning – their ‘EMO’. Here is a graphical representation of those data:

 

 

Essentially this data is telling us that the for the S/S group the shorter the price the better in terms of ‘value’. The 17.0 to 23.0 and the 26.0+ groups are slightly out of kilter, but overall, it looks like horses priced 4.5 (7/2) or shorter early doors are the ones to focus on. Indeed, backing all horses from this shorter price EMO subset (1.01–4.5) would have lost you only 1p for every £1 staked to BSP.

Price movement by trainer

I want now to examine some trainer data, starting with horses that shortened in price from EMO to OS, i.e. the S/S, S/R and S/D groups. To begin with I would like to share some trainers with percentage of runners split for each of these groups. These are the handlers with the highest percentage of runners that match the S/S profile, listed along with the S/R and S/D percentages also:

 

 

Melanie Rowley tops the list with nearly 49% of her runners that shortened between EMO and OS continuing to shorten from OS to SP. To give some context the average percentage of runners’ figure for ALL trainers for the S/S profile is 35%. However, in Rowley's case, it did not lead to a profitable outcome; in fact, quite the opposite – one would have lost 44p in the £ backing all her S/S runners to SP; and it was still a 40p in the £ loss to BSP.

Profitable S/S trainers

There were, however, six trainers in the list who did make a profit to SP with these well-backed runners. The six were Henry Daly, Ben Pauling, David Pipe, Sandy Thomson, Tim Vaughan and Mark Walford. Below is a table containing all trainers who made blind profits with their S/S group of runners, listed alphabetically:

 

 

If only we could have predicted which of their horses were going to have the S/S pattern, then we could have backed them at their Early Price and made even more impressive profits. Nevertheless, none of the trainers in the above list had winners at huge prices that skewed their bottom lines so they look a group who know when they've got a live one.

A dozen trainers made a blind profit including one of the most powerful stables in the country, that of Paul Nicholls. When the Ditcheat yard's horses have shortened from EMO to OS and again from OS to SP, they have produced an outstanding strike rate of over 35% and returned more 8p in the £ profit. What is interesting is that only 28% of the Nicholls runners that shortened in price between EMO and OS then continued to shorten to SP, whereas 48% of them drifted in that final period. It is also interesting that this subset of runners (the S/D group) also performed well with 123 going on to win from 401 runners (SR 30.7%) for an SP profit of £25.57 (ROI +6.4%). To BSP this improves to +£62.65 (ROI +15.6%).

Overall, you could have made a healthy profit to BSP by simply backing ALL Nicholls runners that had shortened in price from EMO to OS.

D/D Trainers

It is time now to briefly look at some D/D data for trainers. I want to focus on horses that had Early Morning Odds of 10.00 (9/1) or shorter to avoid skewed results due to big–priced winners. Obviously, the strike rates of trainers with horses that drift from EMO to OS and then continue to drift to SP are not going to be that impressive. Below is a table of the top 15 trainers with the D/D profile in terms of strike rate:

 

 

No surprise that only three trainers have made a profit to SP, but that figure rises to nine at BSP. Of the trainers in that table, Paul Nicholls has seen significant losses with his D/D runners. They look worth swerving.

At the other end of the scale here are the trainers with the lowest strike rates from their D/D runners with their EMO 10.00 (9/1) or shorter:

 

 

It would make sense with this group of trainers to, unless you are a layer, ignore their horses if they have drifted from EMO to OS and are starting to drift again from their OS price as we near the ‘off’.

For the record horses priced up early at 10.00 (9/1) or bigger that show the D/D profile have won just 1.6% of their races (228 wins from 14220 qualifiers) for losses to SP of £6949 (ROI –48.5%). Losses are obviously less steep when looking at BSP returns but losses are still over 21% (21p in the £).

Finally, let me share one significant stat from the most influential NH owner, JP McManus. When his runners are popular in the market and show the S/S profile they have secured a 29% strike rate and returns of 6p in the £ to SP. His runners showing the D/D profile, however, perform poorly hitting a strike rate of 8.7% with SP losses of 30p in the £.

Market Movement is an integral part of the betting picture and I hope this article has provided some useful pointers for the National Hunt season which is just about to click into top gear.

- DR



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In Excelsis Deo flying the flag for Britain in Galway Plate

In Excelsis Deo bids to become a rare British-trained winner of the Tote Galway Plate on Wednesday.

It is 16 years since Oslot claimed top honours for Paul Nicholls, while the only other horse to travel across the Irish Sea and plunder the Ballybrit showpiece in the last half-century was the Philip Hobbs-trained Amlah in 1998.

Harry Fry’s In Excelsis Deo will line up as a leading contender for the €270,000 contest, having been saved for the race since landing the Grade Two Silver Trophy at Cheltenham in April.

The six-year-old, who is fitted with cheek pieces for the first time, is one of four runners for owner JP McManus, along with Gavin Cromwell’s Punchestown Festival runner-up Perceval Legallois and the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Saint Roi and Janidil.

Perceval Legallois (right) in action at Leopardstown
Perceval Legallois (right) in action at Leopardstown (Donall Farmer/PA)

“Perceval Legallois ran well in Punchestown and this looked the obvious race to have a go at. Gavin is happy with him, it’s a very competitive race and you need a bit of luck, but he goes there in good form,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.

“In Excelsis Deo ran well in some of those good handicaps in Cheltenham last season, Harry is pleased with him. He won’t mind the ground and we’re hoping for a good run.

“Saint Roi ran a blinder in Punchestown, he missed a fence and just got nabbed on the line. He’s going there fresh and well and Willie is happy with him and Janidil – but of the two, Saint Roi looks the one with the current form.”

The powerhouse stables of Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead are all well represented, with Mister Policeman perhaps the pick of the champion trainer’s squad.

Zanahiyr and course and distance winner Ash Tree Meadow look Elliott’s two leading hopes, while Rachael Blackmore has sided with Lets Go Champ over the other De Bromhead runners – Amirite, Toss Again and Life In The Park.

Noel Meade, who won the 2014 Galway Plate with Road To Riches, has a couple of bullets to fire in the form of recent Mullingar Midlands National winner Idas Boy and Pinkerton, who beat Saint Roi by a short head at the Punchestown Festival in early May.

Meade said: “Idas Boy obviously went up a few pounds for winning in Kilbeggan, but still the top-weight (Ash Tree Meadow) stayed in to keep him down the weights and if he gets a good run round, he has to have an each-way chance.

“The other lad is the same. You couldn’t be sure he’d get the trip, but I’d be more worried about the ground than the trip actually.

“As long as there’s a good enough ease in the ground, he has a respectable chance.”



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‘Horse of a lifetime’ Istabraq dies aged 32

Aidan O’Brien hailed Istabraq “the horse of a lifetime” after the brilliant hurdler died on Thursday morning at the age of 32.

A dual winner from 11 starts on the Flat for John Gosden, the son of Sadler’s Wells went on to become one of the most popular National Hunt horses of the modern era.

In all, Istabraq won 23 of his 29 races over obstacles for leading owner JP McManus under jockey Charlie Swan, most famously becoming the fifth horse to win three Champion Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival in 2000.

He also won the 1997 Royal and SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, as well as four Irish Champion Hurdles, two Hatton’s Grace Hurdles and an Aintree Hurdle over the course of his glittering career.

O’Brien told the PA news agency: “Istabraq was obviously the horse of a lifetime for us, one of those very rare horses that only come along once.

“He was very lucky to be owned by JP and Noreen (McManus) and ridden by Charlie – and a lot of people looked after him. Tommy Murphy was the assistant at Ballydoyle before we came and then he stayed on with us and he did a lot of work with him.

“He was a great horse for us and a big part of our family. When the little ones (children) were small, he would have been right at the height of his powers, so for everyone he was a massive part of our lives at that time.”

The remarkable Istabraq story began in earnest after he was snapped up by Timmy Hyde on behalf of McManus for 38,000 guineas in the summer of 1996, coincidentally the same year as a fresh-faced O’Brien moved into the legendary Ballydoyle stables.

Istabraq was bought on the recommendation of John Durkan, who knew him better than most, having been Gosden’s assistant, and was due to train him for his jumping career.

Istabraq in action at Cheltenham
Istabraq in action at Cheltenham (David Jones/PA)

Sadly, Durkan was later diagnosed with leukaemia and O’Brien was entrusted to train the gelding in his absence. Durkan died just days before Istabraq won his first Irish Champion Hurdle in January 1998.

“We were just moving to Ballydoyle and JP bought Istabraq for John Durkan to train. John gave him to Timmy Hyde and when he had him ready, he sent him to Ballydoyle. We were supposed to have him for a year while John was having treatment for leukaemia and unfortunately John passed away,” said O’Brien.

“He was an incredible horse really. I suppose what made him unusual is that he was trained on the Flat before he came to us, so he had the mind of a Flat horse and was full of nervous energy, but he had a lot of ability and an unbelievable cruise.

“He was an incredible jumper, I think that’s what made him very different. Charlie always said he used to take off two strides before any other horse and landed on his back legs, which is very unusual as that meant he got away from his hurdles much quicker.

“I suppose the one that stuck out for us really was his first Champion Hurdle. That was his first time dropping back to two miles in a Champion Hurdle, but every one of his wins was very special.”

Istabraq’s racing days came to an end after being pulled up in his bid for a fourth Champion Hurdle success at Cheltenham in 2002 and he went on to enjoy a long and happy retirement at McManus’ Martinstown Stud in County Limerick, celebrating his 32nd birthday in May.

In a statement issued on Thursday, McManus said: “Sadly, Istabraq passed away at 1.15am this morning at the ripe old age of 32. He was a very special horse who gave us many great days of fun and enjoyment.

“Our thanks to Lara Hegarty, Johnny O’Brien and all the staff at Martinstown who took such fantastic care of him over many years.

“We are pleased that we gave him a good celebration for his most recent birthday in May. He leaves Noreen, myself and the family with wonderful memories.”

Charlie Swan celebrates winning a third Champion Hurdle on Istabraq
Charlie Swan celebrates winning a third Champion Hurdle on Istabraq (Barry Batchelor/PA)

Swan was ever-present in the saddle aboard Istabraq during his jumping career and has fond memories of the hurdling great.

He said: “It’s a sad day, but I suppose he had a great innings; he was 32, and he was looked after like a king at Martinstown, as he deserved.

“I had some great days and I suppose winning the third Champion Hurdle is the one that sticks out. It hadn’t been done many times and that was a special day.

“His jumping was so good – he was so quick to get his front legs out and was very accurate.

“He obviously had loads of speed but he stayed well and jumped – he had everything really. And you could ride him any way you wanted.”



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Istabraq unquestionably one of the all-time National Hunt heroes

Istabraq was a National Hunt racing icon, a horse universally loved and admired across the sport for his consistency, durability and pure talent.

A son of Sadler’s Wells out of a Secretariat mare, the bay was bred by Shadwell and started life on the Flat under the care of John Gosden.

His career on the level was not without success and yielded two wins from 11 starts, but it was when he turned his hand to hurdling that his star instantly began to rise.

The late John Durkan was Istabraq’s intended trainer after JP McManus purchased the horse, but Durkan’s leukaemia diagnosis and subsequent death meant Aidan O’Brien ended up guiding him through his jumping career.

At the time, O’Brien was a young man beginning to make a real mark under both codes, Istabraq’s successes followed a breakthrough at Group level on the Flat and proved beyond all doubt the remarkable horsemanship of the trainer.

Charlie Swan and Istabraq winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham
Charlie Swan and Istabraq winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham (David Jones/PA)

Beaten just a head under Charlie Swan on his hurdling debut, Istabraq then began a novice-season winning streak that included five Graded races and peaked with victory in both the Royal Sunalliance Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Swan retained the ride all throughout the horse’s career and when he returned in open company the following season, the partnership still proved to be nearly unbeatable, storming through the fixture list undefeated up until his superb 12-length Champion Hurdle triumph.

He finally met with defeat when beaten just a head in the Aintree Hurdle, but the winning thread was swiftly regained the following season and he soared through the campaign to prevail each and every time – achieving a Grade One four-timer that included the Champion Hurdle races at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Punchestown, plus retribution in the Aintree Hurdle.

He took the same route the following season, with the exception of Aintree, and again his supremacy was undeniable as he reliably turned up and won with minimal fuss – establishing himself as a truly great racehorse and one of only a handful to land three Champion Hurdle triumphs.

His 2000-2001 season was interrupted by uncharacteristic falls in the Festival Hurdle and the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, with the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease scuppering his bid for a record-breaking fourth Champion Hurdle title at the Cheltenham Festival.

Istabraq and Swan winning the Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown
Istabraq and Swan winning the Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown (Chris Bacon/PA)

He did win the Leopardstown Champion Hurdle in between times, however, and returned in December 2001 to take the Festival Hurdle for a fourth time before pulling up on his last start in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham later that season.

He spent his retirement at his owner’s Martinstown Stud, doted on for more than two decades and revered as one of the all-time greats of not only the hurdling division, but the sport in general.

His birthday was always celebrated by his owners and in May this year he turned 32, a ripe old age and one that eventually took its toll when he died in the early hours of the morning on July 25.

He will be remembered as the outstanding horse of his time and mentioned in any debate about the best hurdlers to ever grace the sport, his legacy being so significant that passengers using Terminal 2 at Dublin airport are met with his likeness immortalised on canvas.



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Hurdling great Istabraq dies aged 32

Three-time Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq has died at the age of 32, his owner JP McManus has announced.

Initially a smart Flat horse for John Gosden, the son of Sadler’s Wells went on to become one of the greatest and most popular National Hunt horses of the modern era after joining Aidan O’Brien.

In all Istabraq won 23 of his 29 races over obstacles, most famously becoming the fifth horse to win three Champion Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival in 2000.

He also won the 1997 Royal and Sunalliance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham as well as four Irish Champion Hurdles, two Hatton’s Grace Hurdles and an Aintree Hurdle over the course of his glittering career.

Istabraq’s racing days came to an end after being pulled up in his bid for a fourth Champion Hurdle success at Cheltenham in 2002 and he has since enjoyed a long and happy retirement at McManus’ Martinstown Stud in County Limerick, celebrating his 32nd birthday in May.

In a statement issued on Thursday, McManus said: “Sadly, Istabraq passed away at 1.15am this morning at the ripe old age of 32. He was a very special horse who gave us many great days of fun and enjoyment.

“Our thanks to Lara Hegarty, Johnny O’Brien and all the staff at Martinstown who took such fantastic care of him over many years.

“We are pleased that we gave him a good celebration for his most recent birthday in May. He leaves Noreen, myself and the family with wonderful memories.”

Charlie Swan celebrates winning a third Champion Hurdle on Istabraq
Charlie Swan celebrates winning a third Champion Hurdle on Istabraq (Barry Batchelor/PA)

Charlie Swan was ever-present in the saddle aboard Istabraq during his jumping career and has fond memories of the hurdling great.

He said: “It’s a sad day, but I suppose he had a great innings; he was 32, and he was looked after like a king at Martinstown, as he deserved.

“I had some great days and I suppose winning the third Champion Hurdle is the one that sticks out. It hadn’t been done many times and that was a special day.

“His jumping was so good – he was so quick to get his front legs out and was very accurate.

“He obviously had loads of speed but he stayed well and jumped – he had everything really. And you could ride him any way you wanted.”



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Spillane’s Tower digs deep to complete Grade One double

Spillane’s Tower made it back-to-back Grade One victories for trainer Jimmy Mangan with a determined display in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown.

Best known as the trainer of 2003 Grand National hero Monty’s Pass, Mangan was claiming his first top-level success in 16 years when this JP McManus-owned gelding landed the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday, with Conna Castle his only previous Grade One winner in the same race in 2008.

Stepping up to three miles for the first time, Spillane’s Tower was a 5-2 joint-favourite for his latest big-race assignment and came out on top after a titanic tussle with market rival Monty’s Star.

Three Card Brag took the field along for much of the way before the big two settled down to fight it out in the straight.

While Spillane’s Tower travelled the better of the pair, Monty’s Star, who found only the much-heralded Fact To File too strong in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, dug deep to stay in the fight, but Mangan’s charge proved three-quarters of a length too strong.

Paddy Power reacted by cutting Spillane’s Tower’s odds for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup to 16-1 from 33-1. McManus has several contenders for the blue riband, with 4-1 shot Fact To File, 10-1 chance Inothewayurthinkin and 20-1 hope Corbetts Cross also in the mix at this early stage.

Mangan paid tribute to the successful owner, stating: “JP, what a man for racing. Without the ammunition, you can’t fire the gun.

“There’s nothing like this, it’s a wonderful game. For the McManus’ to breed the horse and everything is the icing on the cake. I’m delighted to be delivering the goods for them.

“He looked the real deal (when I got him) and I said ‘if there’s an engine inside that body, we’re away’. Thankfully, there is. What an engine he’s got, he’s got class to burn.

Spillane's Tower
Spillane’s Tower and the winning connections (Gary Carson/PA)

“I was confident, we’ve never lost confidence in this horse. He’s only six and hopefully his future is well ahead of him.

“He dealt with that (ground) fine but I wouldn’t like to run him on tight ground, as he’s a big horse. It was my worry all week and I was delighted to see it rain.

“He had won here during the winter on heavy ground and I wouldn’t like to chance him on firm ground. When the rain came, I had no excuses.

“We had tried him at two miles but he was telling us all the time that he wanted further. He won at two-and-a-half and he was always going away at the finish.

“We can dream during the summer now, hopefully all goes well and we’ll be looking forward to the autumn.

“I was coming near to the end of the road but this really puts me back on the motorway again! All the big days are special, but Punchestown is special.”

McManus added: “Jimmy and his team have done a great job with him. It’s wonderful to be here today and sharing it with them and their family.

“They are great for racing and you can see when they win a race how enthusiastic the crowd are.”



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McManus duo primed for Champion Chase challenge

Dinoblue and Gentleman De Mee give JP McManus a formidable hand in his bid for yet another big-race victory in the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown on Tuesday.

It has already been quite the year for the leading owner, with five winners at the Cheltenham Festival followed by a treble at Aintree, including the Grand National success of I Am Maximus.

Jonbon’s victory in Saturday’s Celebration Chase at Sandown put the seal on a British campaign which saw McManus crowned champion owner for the eighth successive season and the 73-year-old will be hoping to keep the ball rolling back on home soil this week.

His two runners in the feature event on day one of the Punchestown Festival both had to make do with the runner-up spot at Cheltenham in March, with Dinoblue narrowly denied by fellow McManus-owned runner Limerick Lace in the Mares’ Chase and Gentleman De Mee second best in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Gentleman De Mee is a second major contender for owner JP McManus
Gentleman De Mee is a second major contender for owner JP McManus (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

The owner’s retained rider Mark Walsh has sided with Dinoblue on her return to an extended two miles, leaving National-winning jockey Paul Townend to partner Gentleman De Mee.

“Dinoblue is versatile trip-wise, I think – I don’t think the trip beat her at Cheltenham,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.

“I think she’s come out of the race quite well, it’s competitive but she never runs a bad race and is very dependable.

“Gentleman De Mee is in good form and the better the ground, the better he’ll like it. We’re happy with him and it will be an interesting race.”

Dinoblue and Gentleman De Mee are two of four runners for Willie Mullins, who also saddles Saint Sam and Dysart Dynamo in a race he has won in each of the past five renewals.

The biggest threat to the Closutton quartet appears to be Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness, who enjoyed an overdue day in the sun when triumphant in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

De Bromhead, who also runs outsider Maskada, said: “We’re delighted with Captain Guinness. We always felt he deserved to win a Grade One and the fact it was the Champion Chase was an added bonus.

“Maskada is being covered, so I’d say it’s her last run. So, we’ll give it a go and see if she can get some Grade One black type.”

Joseph O’Brien fits star chaser Banbridge with cheek pieces as he drops back in trip, with the field completed by Gordon Elliott’s pair of Ash Tree Meadow and Fil Dor.

Of the latter, Elliott said: “He ran creditably at Cheltenham and Fairyhouse, both times maybe shaping a little better than the bare result and maybe looking like a horse that might appreciate coming back to this trip.”



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Maximus the pick for champion owner McManus

JP McManus nominated I Am Maximus’ Randox Grand National success as the highlight of another championship-winning season in Britain.

McManus was crowned champion owner for the eighth successive season at Sandown, with Jonbon’s striking Grade One victory in the bet365 Celebration Chase at the Esher track providing a fine finale to the 2023-24 term.

However, I Am Maximus gave McManus his defining moment of the campaign when carrying the famous green and gold to his third triumph in the Aintree showpiece, with the 73-year-old expressing his love for the Merseyside marathon.

“We have had a good run this year and I have a great team of trainers, stable staff and jockeys and I couldn’t have done it without them,” said McManus.

“The Grand National was special, it’s the most special race and if I could pick one race in the world I would want to win, it is the Grand National. We celebrated well.”

Those sentiments were echoed by McManus’ long-time retained rider AP McCoy who believes his current squad is thronging with talent, with I Am Maximus and star novice Fact To File both Cheltenham Gold Cup contenders to get excited about next season.

AP McCoy has hailed JP McManus' love of racing
AP McCoy has hailed JP McManus’ love of racing (PA Wire)

“To win the Grand National with all his grandkids there, who are all old enough to remember it, meant a lot to him and he has probably the best team of horses he has ever had now,” said McCoy.

“There are a lot less in the UK, but there’s a lot better horses than he’s ever had and he loves it, he genuinely has the passion for it and that is what sets him apart. He will go down the farm in the summer time and he will be picking out horses and thinking is that going to be that and dreaming of what is going to happen the following year.

“He loves horse racing and I know everyone in that position should do but he genuinely loves it.”



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National glory has no chance of getting old for McManus

Leading owner JP McManus finished an incredible three-days at Aintree by watching I Am Maximus provide him with a thrilling third triumph in the Randox Grand National.

The famous green and gold silks of McManus were a frequent sight in the winner’s enclosure over the three-day meeting in Liverpool, with the Emmet Mullins-trained Its On The Line scoring over the Grand National fences in the Foxhunters on Thursday before a Grade One treble on Friday afternoon.

Inothewayurthinkin, Mystical Power and Jonbon were all successful on day two, but the best was still to come.

Although McManus had spoken of his liking for the chance of Limerick Lace – bred by his wife, Noreen – in the lead-up to the world’s most famous steeplechase, it was his first colours that were carried to victory by the Willie Mullins-trained favourite, I Am Maximus, who ran out the most impressive of winners in the hands of Paul Townend.

JP McManus has had a fine few days at Aintree
JP McManus has had a fine few days at Aintree (Mike Egerton/PA)

Flanked by his grandchildren, McManus was lifting the trophy for a third time as I Am Maximus joined the likes of Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde to follow up victory in the Irish Grand National on Merseyside.

In the aftermath he was keen to stress his love for both the great race and Aintree, and told ITV: “I love everything about the race.

“I love Liverpool, the excitement of coming here, the build-up to the National, it’s just a very, very special place. When you win it’s a wonderful spectacle.

Paul Townend aboard I Am Maximus after winning the Randox Grand National
Paul Townend aboard I Am Maximus after winning the Randox Grand National (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)

“The Grand National, you are always looking forward to it and what you might have for the next one because it is such a special race.

“Willie planned the campaign with this horse a long time back and thankfully it worked out.”

McManus has already played a key part in National history having provided Sir Anthony McCoy with a long-awaited Aintree success when Don’t Push It struck in 2010, while that was topped in 2021 when Rachael Blackmore rode herself into the record books aboard Minella Times in the Irishman’s colours.



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McManus dreaming of another green and gold National

What has already been a special couple of days in Liverpool for owner JP McManus has the potential to be even greater as he can look forward to five runners in the Randox Grand National.

His famous green and gold silks have been carried to victory four times in the first two days, and he celebrated an incredible Grade One treble on Friday.

Having watched Inothewayurthinkin and Iroko provide him with a one-two in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase, Mystical Power, a son of Galileo and the Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power went one better than at Cheltenham in the Top Novices’ Hurdle.

However, he was especially pleased to see Jonbon, denied a run at the Cheltenham Festival due to the cloud hanging over Nicky Henderson’s yard, land the Melling Chase.

“Days like these are very special so you’ve got to celebrate and enjoy them,” said McManus.

“Jonbon winning meant a lot because it has been a trying time for Nicky over the past two months so to see him up there, you could see it was special to him.”

McManus has been lucky enough to win the National twice already, firstly when providing Sir Anthony McCoy with his only success, at the 15th attempt, on Don’t Push It, and then he watched Rachael Blackmore create history on Minella Times in 2021.

“I don’t think there is any race like the Grand National. From being a kid I always had a bet in the National, no matter how old you are it is the one race everybody watched,” said McManus.

Peter Kay presents AP McCoy (right) with the trophy after winning the Grand National on Don’t Push It as JP McManus looks on
Peter Kay presents AP McCoy (right) with the trophy after winning the Grand National on Don’t Push It as JP McManus looks on (David Davies/PA)

“If you go to the local hurling club or wherever, they’d all know who won the Grand National.

“Look at AP (McCoy), it took him a long time to win it but I know how much it meant to him when he did, I’m just surprised these days he doesn’t say he should have won it twice!”

Despite having won all there is to win in racing, the former bookmaker still admits to getting excited about the famous race.

“I’ve been coming to Aintree since 1976, Rag Trade I think, I may have missed one in between and the covid one,” he said.

“It’s an unbelievable race, the National, you think about it 12 months before and try to think if you’ve one good enough to run in it.

“We run five tomorrow but hopefully we’ve one real one, I hope.

“I’ve had a little on Limerick Lace at 25-1 each-way because I thought that was a big price, but if my life depended on it I think I Am Maximus is the one. Willie (Mullins) said we’re going to try to win the Grand National and then the Gold Cup!”



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Walsh opts for Limerick Lace over ‘massive gamble’ Meetingofthewaters

Paul Townend will be on board I Am Maximus and Mark Walsh has opted to partner Limerick Lace after owner JP McManus finalised riding plans for his five-strong team in Saturday’s Randox Grand National.

The celebrated owner has enjoyed two famous victories in the world’s greatest steeplechase, memorably providing AP McCoy with an elusive first success aboard Don’t Push It in 2010 before the historic triumph of the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Minella Times three years ago.

McManus is set to be well represented once more at Aintree this weekend, with Irish Grand National hero I Am Maximus and his Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Meetingofthewaters his two shortest-priced runners.

William Hill on Tuesday suggested the latter, third in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival last month, could even go off favourite following a “massive gamble”, but with Townend in the saddle on I Am Maximus, the owner’s retained rider in Ireland, Mark Walsh, has interestingly sided with Gavin Cromwell’s Mares’ Chase heroine Limerick Lace.

Confirming riding arrangements, McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “Paul is on I Am Maximus, Mark is on Limerick Lace and Danny (Mullins) is on Meetingofthewaters.

“Mark has never ridden I Am Maximus, so Paul will ride him. Mark had a difficult decision to make as he liked Meetingofthewaters at Cheltenham as well. It was a difficult decision, but he’s gone with the mare anyway, so he’s hoping she’ll get the trip.”

Berry said Keith Donoghue had been booked to ride Cotswold Chase winner Capodanno, while Jody McGarvey will do the steering on Janidil.

He added: “They’re all going there in good form, they’ll need a bit of luck in running on the day in the National as everyone knows, but hopefully they’ll give a good account.”

Danny Mullins celebrates winning the Paddy Power Chase on Meetingofthewaters
Danny Mullins celebrates winning the Paddy Power Chase on Meetingofthewaters (Niall Carson/PA)

Hills make last year’s winner Corach Rambler their 9-2 favourite, with I Am Maximus 7-1 and Meetingofthewaters only a point behind at 8-1 after being cut from 10s.

Spokesperson Lee Phelps said: “The money started coming in for Meetingofthewaters last week and it has not stopped. Make no mistake, this is a massive gamble, and we’ve been forced to take more preventative action, cutting Willie Mullins’ runner to 8-1 from 10-1, having been as big as 14-1 less than a week ago.

“Most people would have expected last year’s winner Corach Rambler to go off favourite, but if this gamble continues at its current rate we think there’s a good chance Meetingofthewaters could be favourite come Saturday race-time.”

The well-fancied Kitty’s Light, a 14-1 shot with the same firm, appears almost certain to make the cut after Gordon Elliott revealed top-weight Conflated will instead run in the Melling Chase on Friday.

Conflated was one of 13 Elliott-trained horses still in contention for the event following the confirmation stage on Monday, but owners Gigginstown House Stud later said the prospect of running under 11st 12lb on testing ground over four and a quarter miles was a major concern.

The 10-year-old was also entered for Thursday’s Aintree Bowl over three miles and a furlong, but was not declared on Tuesday morning and is instead set to run over two and a half miles the following day.

Conflated is set to contest the Melling Chase instead of the Grand National
Conflated is set to contest the Melling Chase instead of the Grand National (Niall Carson/PA)

“We had the option of the Aintree Bowl and the Grand National, but with the ground going the way it is we are going to run in the Melling Chase on Friday instead,” Elliott said in a stable tour for Attheraces.com.

“I thought he ran great in the Ryanair Chase (at Cheltenham, finished third), he hit the line well and I was very happy with his run.”

Conflated’s anticipated defection means all six horses with an allotted weight of 10st 6lb are now set to get into the final field of 34.

As Glengouly, Galia Des Liteaux and Panda Boy are rated 146, all three were already guaranteed a starting berth, but the same could not be said of Eklat De Rire, Chambard and Kitty’s Light.

As that trio have all been dropped 1lb to an official rating of 145 since the weights were unveiled in February, connections faced an anxious wait and a potential random ballot to decide which two of the three would creep in at the bottom if none of the horses above them were taken out.

Christian Williams, trainer of last year’s Scottish Grand National and bet365 Gold Cup hero Kitty’s Light, admitted to being relieved that barring a late change of mind from Elliott, that will no longer be the case.

He said: “It’s great that he’ll get in now, it’s good for the owners. The whole season has been geared towards the Grand National so it’s great that we’ve got in.

“The owners have been looking at it for the last three weeks and had everything upside down. They’ve been thinking about it for the last three weeks and I just stayed out of it.

“I think Gordon declared Conflated for the Bowl this morning, so one of the owners rang me and said ‘brilliant Chris, we’re in’, then Gordon took him back out! Anyway, it sounds like he’s running on Friday hopefully.”

Christian Williams and Jack Tudor with the bet365 Gold Cup trophy
Christian Williams and Jack Tudor with the bet365 Gold Cup trophy (David Davies/The Jockey Club)

Of Kitty’s Light, he added: “He’s flying, it’s just a shame with the ground because when we had him in a good place last year the ground was good and it looks like it will be heavy on Saturday.

“He might still have won the Scottish National last year if it was soft, you don’t really know do you? You can’t discount him on the ground until he actually goes out there as when we’ve run him on that sort of ground before we didn’t have him in the best of form and it wouldn’t have been his ideal trip.

“When he’s had his ideal trip it’s been in the spring and that’s when the ground has been good. We’ll see how he runs on heavy ground in the spring – there’s only one way to find out.”



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A Dream To Share booked to reappear in Leopardstown bumper

A Dream To Share is set to bid for back-to-back victories in the Goffs Future Stars INH Flat Race at next month’s Dublin Racing Festival, after connections put a pause on plans to go hurdling this season.

The JP McManus-owned six-year-old is five from five in bumpers for veteran trainer John Kiely, also landing the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and a Grade One at Punchestown.

He was due to embark on a hurdling career this term and was at the head of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle market, but a setback meant he missed his intended jumping debut at Punchestown in October and he was later ruled out until the new year.

And while A Dream To Share is reported to be back in good form, McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry has confirmed he will instead revert to the bumper route in Leopardstown’s Grade Two finale on February 3.

He said: “All being well, he’ll go for the bumper (at the Dublin Racing Festival).

“Basically he’s missed a few schooling days and a few things and with the setback it just didn’t give us a lot of time to get him jumping.

“He’s eligible for the bumper in Leopardstown and that’s the route he’s going to take, so let’s see how we get on doing this.

“He’s coming along nicely, John is happy with him. We’ll learn a bit more at the Dublin Racing Festival and see where we go from there.”



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No Flies On Him has Dublin date for O’Grady

No Flies On Him has the chance to take Edward O’Grady back to the top level when he appears at the Dublin Racing Festival next month.

Owned by JP McManus, the five-year-old accounted for Nicky Henderson’s Grade One winner Jango Baie in the pointing field and made the perfect rules debut when an easy winner at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.

No Flies On Him is now poised for an immediate step up to Grade One company at Leopardstown on February 4, where he will line up in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle that has often served as a stepping stone to the Cheltenham Festival.

O’Grady is no stranger to big-race success, but it has been over 12 years since Cash And Go’s Future Champions Novice Hurdle victory.

It is somewhat fitting his latest potentially high-class performer is owned by McManus, a long-time supporter of O’Grady’s Killeens Stables with the trainer always remembered as the man who first saddled a Festival winner in the famous green and gold silks.

No Flies On Him in action at Leopardstown
No Flies On Him in action at Leopardstown (Niall Carson/PA)

“He goes to the Dublin Racing Festival,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.

“He has come out of his race well and we’re very happy with him. We couldn’t have been happier with him at Leopardstown.

“He won a maiden hurdle and did it nicely, but he has to step up again now and see where we go.”



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Tower-ing performance floors Blood Destiny

Spillane’s Tower inflicted a shock defeat on red-hot favourite Blood Destiny in the Betting Better With SkyBet Novice Chase at Punchestown.

The Grade Three contest has an illustrious roll of honour in recent years, with Carefully Selected, Envoi Allen, Bob Olinger and Impervious the last four winners, and the Willie Mullins-trained Blood Destiny was a 2-5 shot to add his name to the list following an impressive fencing debut at Naas.

Just as he did a month ago, Blood Destiny set out to make every yard of the running in the hands of Paul Townend, and for much of the two-and-a-half-mile contest he appeared in complete control.

However, it became clear on the run to the final fence he had a real race on his hands as Mark Walsh conjured a late charge from Spillane’s Tower (7-1), who was bidding for back-to-back course wins for trainer Jimmy Mangan and owner JP McManus.

Blood Destiny was still in the lead jumping the final fence, but he was unable to resist Spillane’s Tower’s finishing kick, with two lengths separating the pair at the line.

The winning owner’s racing manager, Frank Berry, said: “He jumped well, they went a good gallop and he stayed well. You could only be pleased with him.

“I’d say the step up in trip was a big help to him. Mark said he was a bit flat out early on but he got home well.

“We’ve no plans, we’ll see where he goes and where he slots in. It’s nice to see Jimmy with a nice horse, all his runs have been good and he’s improving all the time. It was a nice performance.”



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