A recap of JP McManus’ seven winners at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival

Irish billionaire JP McManus boasts one of the best, if not the best, contingents of horses across the entirety of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and his whopping 66 winners at the Cheltenham Festival are evident of that. Over the years, his iconic green and gold hooped silks have become no stranger to the Prestbury Park winners’ enclosure, and his horses are often at the forefront of the Cheltenham tips.

Last year, McManus landed seven winners across the four-day meeting, which was once again enough for him to take home the Leading Owner award. With this year’s Festival now just around the corner, you might find yourself in aid of some inspiration when looking at the Cheltenham racecards.

So, to help you hopefully pick a few winners come mid-March, let’s take a look back at McManus’ seven winners from last year, some of which will be in contention again this year. Read on to find out more!

Epatante – Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy

Epatante was disappointing in the Grade 2 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in 2019, where he set off as the market leader yet finished a dire ninth. However, he stepped up to the challenge of the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle last year. He went into the race as the 2/1 favourite and went on to beat Sharjah by a rather comfortable three lengths. He is expected to defend his Champion Hurdle crown this year at the same odds as before (2/1F) in the latest Cheltenham races betting.

Champ – Festival Novices’ Chase

Day two of the Festival was rather successful for McManus and it all started with the aptly named Champ in the second race of the day, the Festival Novices’ Chase. The nine-year-old, who is named after Sir AP McCoy, was the third favourite at 4/1 heading into the race but lagged so far behind the pacesetters that he went as far out as 700/1 in-running. However, a monumental comeback up the hill was enough for Champ to take over both Minella Indo and favourite Allaho to win the race. This year, Nicky Henderson and McManus could opt for either the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle or the Gold Cup, and Champ is a 10/1 shot for both.

Dame De Compagnie – Handicap Hurdle

It was a quick double for McManus as Dame De Compagnie followed up on Champ’s victory with a win in the Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle. The eight-year-old was the marker leader at 5/1 and she asserted her favourite status to win by little more than two lengths. Henderson and McManus will be weighing up their options ahead of this year’s Festival, as Dame De Compagnie is an early closer in five races, but the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase seems the most likely scenario.

Easysland – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase

McManus was seething that Defi Du Seuil missed out on victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, given the fact that he set off as the heavy odds-on favourite in absence of Chacun Pour Soi and Altior, but Easysland’s victory in the Cross Country Chase may have cooled his head a bit. After all, the seven-year-old beat two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll by a whopping 17 lengths. And, given that easy victory, it’s no surprise that Easysland is the 7/4 favourite to defend his crown this year.

Aramax – Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

The day two winners for McManus didn’t end there either, as Aramax reigned victorious in the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. With both joint favourites pulling up, the race was left wide open and 15/2 shot Aramax took advantage, holding off Night Edition to win by a length. However, despite that victory, the five-year-old doesn’t have any entries for this year’s Festival, but we are sure we will see him again in the future.

Sire Du Berlais – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle

Sire Du Berlais was defending his Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle at last year’s meeting. However, after a dire run of form, which saw him fail to win any of his four outings between the 2019 and 2020 Festival, retaining his Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle looked unlikely, and odds of 10/1 reflected that. But he defied the odds, beating Storyteller by half a length, and this year he has sights firmly set on the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.

Saint Roi – County Handicap Hurdle

The County Handicap Hurdle was just Saint Roi’s third outing for Willie Mullins, since swapped France for the top trainer’s Irish stables, but he went into the Grade 3 race as the market leader and he subsequently prevailed as the winner, beating Aramon by over four lengths. This year, Saint Roi will head for the Champion Hurdle, but the 10/1 shot faces stiff opposition from the likes of Epatante and Sharjah.

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