JP McManus celebrated his 75th birthday with multiple victories at the Cheltenham Festival.
Saratoga secured victory in the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle. This was McManus’s 85th winner at the Cheltenham Festival. The Padraig Roche-trained grey, ridden by Mark Walsh, was a 10-1 chance.
McManus said in a post-race interview with ITV, “I met Michael O’Leary today, he wished me a happy birthday and he said ‘only the good die young’ so…”
Saratoga’s Triumph in the Fred Winter Hurdle
Saratoga made light work of the 22-runner contest, finishing ahead of Winston Junior. The win emulated his half-brother Brazil’s success in 2022 for the same owner, trainer and jockey combination. Roche said that they thought this race would suit him.
Roche added, “Getting nice horses is half the battle in this game and I’m delighted Frank (Berry, racing manager) and JP decided to buy him.”
Johnnywho’s Victory in the Ultima Handicap Chase
McManus had further reason to celebrate in the very next race, securing a one-two finish with Johnnywho and Jagwar in the Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase.
Johnnywho, trained by Jonjo and AJ O’Neill, managed to sidestep Search For Glory after he unseated his rider at the last. Jockey Richie McLernon had to dig deep with 3-1 favourite Jagwar delivering a last-gasp challenge, holding on by a head.
It was a first Festival winner for AJ O’Neill since joining his father on the licence at Jackdaws Castle. He said, “That was fantastic, Richie gave him an unbelievable ride.
McManus Reflects on Cheltenham Success
McManus said, “Every winner at Cheltenham is very, very special.”
He added, “We’ve always had a lot of fun and great days here. It’s a place which means so much to so many and I’m delighted to see this one win for Padraig.”
“Every winner is special and I go back a long time with Padraig’s father Christy. We won this race with Brazil a few years ago and they were praying the ground would be fast and every day it was drying out was a bonus.
“I’ve had winners here on my birthday before, but you never get tired of it.”
Roche said, “Today really mattered, but I’m sure we’ll find out down the road if he’s a bit better than a handicapper.”