JP McManus, a renowned backgammon champion, is making a strong showing at the Cheltenham Festival. With numerous entries and potential winners, including favorites like Majborough and Jonbon, McManus aims to add to his already impressive record.
JP McManus, the man who famously won $17 million in a backgammon game, is making a significant splash at this year's Cheltenham Festival . With an impressive 78 victories to his name, McManus is already the most successful owner in the history of the national hunt festival. His passion for the sport continues to grow as he invests heavily in new talent. This year, McManus has over 60 entries for the Festival, including the favorite in 13 of the 28 races scheduled over the four days.
Among his most promising contenders is Majborough, set to compete in the second race of the Festival, the Arkle Novices' Chase. Purchased from France and trained by Willie Mullins, the five-year-old gelding won the Triumph Hurdle last season and has transitioned to chasing with remarkable success. Impressively, he won a beginners chase at Fairyhouse and followed that with a dominant victory in a Grade 1 race at the Dublin Racing Festival. With Nicky Henderson's Sir Gino ruled out due to injury, Majborough is the odds-on favorite to deliver McManus his first winner of the week. McManus is renowned for his willingness to invest substantial sums in potential stars. One notable example is Jonbon, a full-brother to former Arkle winner Douvan, for whom he paid a record £570,000 after a point-to-point victory in 2020. Despite the occasional setback, Jonbon has already significantly repaid that investment, winning over £1 million in prize money and 17 of his 20 races. The only missing piece from his impressive record is a Cheltenham Festival win, and bookmakers currently favor him to achieve that this year. McManus's spending spree continued with the purchase of The New Lion, a promising prospect trained by Dan Skelton. The son of Kayf Tara, unbeaten in four starts, showcased his potential by winning the Challow Novices' Hurdle last December. McManus acquired the six-year-old for over €1 million and The New Lion is set to compete in McManus's colors for the first time in the Turner Novices' Hurdle. McManus and his racing manager Frank Berry have a proven track record of success when purchasing horses off the track. Last year, Corbetts Cross, acquired from Paul Byrne, won the National Hunt Chase and is now aiming for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. This season, McManus purchased The Wallpark, a progressive hurdler, with the Stayers' Hurdle in mind for the Gordon Elliott-trained gelding. He also acquired Aqua Force, a 28-length winner of a Gowran Park bumper, who will be trained by Willie Mullins for a run in the Champion Bumper. In the Paddy Power Mares' Chase, McManus has dominated recent years, with Elimay (2022), Impervious (2023), and Limerick Lace (2024) all wearing his iconic green and gold silks. This year, Dinoblue, the runner-up to Limerick Lace in 2024 and looking back to her best at Naas last time out, is the favorite for the race. While McManus has enjoyed significant success in graded races at the Festival, including two Grade 1s in 2024, his strength often lies in handicaps. He has secured ten victories in Cheltenham Festival handicaps over the past five years, many of which have involved significant betting activity. With the addition of three more handicaps this year due to changes in race conditions, Team McManus is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend. Among his leading contenders in the handicaps is French recruit Kopeck De Mee, who has attracted significant attention in the ante-post markets. The gelding has been entered in the Coral Cup, County Hurdle, and Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at next month's festival, having competed five times over hurdles in France. However, Kopeck De Mee is just one of many horses McManus will be sending to the Cotswolds. McManus's journey began with his first ever Festival winner, Mister Donovan, who captured the 1982 Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle after a monstrous gamble
Cheltenham Festival JP Mcmanus Horse Racing Jonbon Majborough Backgammon
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