The most successful owner in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, with 88 winners to his name, at the last count, Irish billionaire John Patrick ‘J.P.’ McManus probably requires little introduction. His first winner at the March showpiece meeting was Mister Donovan, trained by Edward O’Grady, in the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle in 1982 and, in four decades since, his familiar green and gold colours – modelled on those of South Liberties, his local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club – have become synonymous with major National Hunt races on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Of the five ‘feature’ races run at the Cheltenham Festival, McManus has won the Champion Hurdle a record nine times, with Istabraq (1998, 1999 and 2000), Binocular (2010), Jezki (2014), Buveur D’Air (2017 and 2018), Espoir d’Allen (2019) and Epatante (2020), the Stayers’ Hurdle three times, with Baracouda (2002 and 2003) and More Of That (2014), the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, with Synchronised (2012) and Inothewayurthinkin (2025) and the Ryanair Chase once, with Uxizandre (2015). He has yet to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but finished runner-up in the two-mile steeplechasing championship in 2004, 2006, 2024 and 2025.
Away from Prestbury Park, it should not be forgotten that, nowadays, McManus is also the most successful owner in the history of the Grand National. He famously won the Aintree marathon for the first time with Don’t Push It, trained by Jonjo O’Neill and ridden by Tony McCoy, in 2010, equally famously with Minella Times, trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, in 2021, and has since added two more victories courtesy of I Am Maximus, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, in both 2024 and 2026. After his latest victory, McManus said, “We have a bit do to catch up with Red Rum, but we’ll definitely try!”