The reason JP McManus had to spend big on The New Lion ahead of the Cheltenham Festival
Limerick billionaire reputed to have spent £1 million on Dan Skelton-trained novice hurdler
JP McManus stunned the racing world on Saturday by splashing the cash to purchase exciting novice hurdler The New Lion.
The Limerick billionaire is reported to have paid £1 million for the Dan Skelton-trained novice hurdler, who had been owned by English businessman Darren Yates.
Yates had said his unbeaten six-year-old was not for sale following his impressive Challow Hurdle win at Newbury before Chrstmas, but McManus made him an offer he couldn’t refuse and he now runs in his green and gold silks.
READ MORE:Owner explains decision to sell Cheltenham Festival favourite to JP McManus
READ MORE:JP McManus splashes the cash to buy Cheltenham Festival favourite The New Lion
McManus paying big sums of money for horses already in training is nothing new, just last year he bought It's On The Line, Meetingofthewaters and Iberico Lord on the eve of Cheltenham.
In the past he’s moved for big name horses like Jezki, First Gold, Flagship Uberalles, A Dream To Share and even Cross Country specialist Easysland.
But with this one, there is a niggling suspicion that it could have been something of a panic buy, with the McManus team looking potentially weak in a few major races ahead of the Festival, which starts in nine weeks time.
Before he signed the cheque for The New Lion, McManus had no horse priced at less than 14-1 for the four Grade 1 Novice Hurdles in the Cotswolds.
His hand in the championship races includes red-hot favourite Jonbon for the Champion Chase but Galopin Des Champs dismissal of Fact To FIle in the Savills and Spillane Tower’s poor King George showing, has seen his Gold Cup hopes take a major dent.
At present he has no horse near the top of the market for the Champion Hurdle and although there has been talk of Corbett’s Cross being possibly trained for the Stayers’ Hurdle, it’s not a route that has been very successful in the past.
Majborough was one of five McManus winners at last year’s Festival and was hugely impressive on his chasing debut at Fairyhouse but he now has Sir Gino to beat in the Arkle and that will be no easy task.
The McManus pair of Limerick Lace and Dinoblue fought out the finish to last year’s Mares’ Chase but both have started the season inauspiciously while his 2023 winner Impervious is 20 months off the track.
McManus has a big team and there’s no doubt he’ll have more than a few handicap hopefuls but the move for The New Lion and potentially others is designed at moving him towards another big target.
McManus would have watched Willie Mullins take all the plaudits last year for hitting a century of Festival winners.
He currently stands on 78 Festival wins himself and he’ll be keen to get to the 100 as soon as he can and the poaching of The New Lion may not be his only big money buy before the Festival starts.
Yates paid just €45,000 for the son of Kayf Tara as a foal and his himself not adverse to buying horses off other owners for big money but he has said he’s now exiting the sport.
McManus’ human team is as impressive as his equine squad.
Frank Berry, Charlie Swan, AP McCoy, Derek O’Connor and Jonjo O’Neill are all part of his inner circle and don’t rule out a few more big money moves.
Because when McManus calls, it’s very hard to say no.
JP McManus Cheltenham 2024 Grade 1 Festival squad
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle:
This year’s race looks wide open at 8-1 the field but at present McManus’ best priced runner is the Willie Mullins trained Kel Histoire (20-1).
Arkle Chase
Majborough is high-class but Sir Gino has been described as the next Sprinter Sacre and it will take a monumental effort to beat him here.
Mares’ Hurdle
Birdie Or Bust is McManus’ best hope according to the betting at current odds of 33-1.
Champion Hurdle
McManus has won this race nine times but he’s very unlikely to hit the ten this year unless he goes shopping. Mystical Power has been one of the season’s big disappointments. Iberico Lord is currently 100-1.
Turners’ Novice Hurdle
It was looking bleak until that January Transfer Window move for The New Lion who is 5-2 favourite.
Brown Advisory Novice Chase
Nothing here unless Majborough is moved up in distance, which seems unlikely.
Champion Chase
Jonbon is the ace in JP’s pack. A horse that cost £570,000 himself.
Ryanair Chase
There has been talk of Fact To FIle being moved to this race and the market thinks he will as he’s currently 11-2 second favourite. But has he the speed?
Stayers’ Hurdle
The Wallpark was bought by McManus earlier this year but struggled over Christmas while Corbett’s Cross could be rerouted to this after disappointing so far this season.
Triumph Hurdle
A race JP likes to win but at the moment the French-trained Stencil is his best hope at 33-1.
Albert Bartlett
No JP-owned horse currently in the betting
Gold Cup
Take out Galopin Des Champs and McManus has plenty of chances. Fact To File, Spillane’s Tower, Corbett’s Cross, Iknowthewayyourthinkin and I Am Maximus could all run. But can they beat Galopin?
Sign up to our horse racing newsletter here to get news direct to your inbox.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
