Young Jonjo is the real McCoy
HAVIN G grown up idolising AP McCoy, Jonjo O’Neill Jr is now gunning for more success when he partners Champ — the horse named after his hero at Cheltenham today.
The warm favourite for next month’s Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival runs in today’s Cleeve Hurdle in the famous silks of JP McManus.
Young Jonjo celebrated his first Grade One victory after steering the Nicky Henderson-trained gelding to victory in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December.
“I used to look up to
AP and his
riding when
I was younger, and to ride a Grade
One on the horse named after him made it special as wel l ,” he said.
“A big thank you goes out to
Mr McManus and his family for letting me ride him. Winning the Grade One for him made it all the more special as he has been a very good family friend since long before I was born.”
McManus enjoyed success in jump racing’s two iconic events when O’Neill’s father, also Jonjo, trained Don’t Push It to win the 2010 Grand National and Synchronised to collect in the 2012 Cheltenham Gold.
“Obviously,
I’m glad to be back on
Champ,” said O’Neill. “He gave me a great thrill at Ascot.
“He was very effective at Ascot. He acts over three miles around Cheltenham [ having won the RS A Chase in 2020], albeit that was over fences. His course form will help. “He’s probably the one to beat.” Just like his father did in his riding days, O’Neill (23) has endured more than his fair share of injuries.
“When I had those injuries, beating my best number of winners in a season wasn’t going to be attainable so I want ed to focus on quality instead,” explained O’Neill, whose bucket list includes cycling on the Tour de France route.
“That was my goal at the start of the season, to win a Grade One. “To get it has made my season and it is nice that it has worked out, as it is difficult getting on those types of horses.”
Footsteps
Following in the footsteps of his father – whose most famous moment came when he partnered Dawn Run to add to her Champion Hurdle success in the 1986 Cheltenham Gold Cup — was not always a given for O’Neill.
“I was playing rugby at school as well as riding,” he explained. “They’re not really sports you can do together, and I knew deep down that I wasn’t going to make it in rugby.
“I always thought I had a good chance to make it as a jockey if I sorted my weight out.”
A win for O’Neill today will ensure his family name’s close association with Cheltenham success continues.