JP on a spending spree
JP McMANUS has pulled off a triple transfer coup as he bids to regain the title as the Cheltenham Festival’s leading owner in 2019.
McManus, who watched Buveur D’Air provide his 50th Festival winner in the 2017 Champion Hurdle, has nonetheless been pipped as top owner at the meeting in the last two seasons by the Gigginstown House Stud.
But fresh from enjoying three valuable wins at the two-day Dublin Racing Festival over the weekend – two of them, Sir Erec and Le Richebourg, are already short-priced favourites for
Grade Ones at Cheltenham in March – JP has now snapped up a further trio of potential Festival winners.
Joseph O’Brien saddled both Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Erec and Le Richebourg (Arkle) to win at Leopardstown and he has supplied two new stablemates for JP in Fakir D’Oudairies, a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Triumph Hurdle entry, as well as Konitho, a very stylish Naas winner. Blue Sari, trained by Willie Mullins, has also been acquired by McManus after racing to the head of the Champion Bumper market when winning at Gowran Park.
Having swerved a clash with Altior in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot recently, Mullins has opted to take Un De Sceaux out of Saturday’s Betfair Exchange Chase at Newbury. That leaves the way clear for Colin Tizzard’s oddson chance Fox Norton.
Meanwhile, on the Flat, Charlie Bennett was given a 12-day ban by the Kempton stewards after being found guilty of careless riding in an incident which saw fellow rider Robert Havlin taken to hospital.
Bennett, on board Lieutenant Conde in the 1.50, was adjudged by the stewards to have “edged left without correction when not sufficiently clear of Havlin” around three furlongs from home.
Havlin’s mount, the John Gosden-trained Beehaar, clipped the heels of his rival and took a fatal fall.