© Dan Heap
JP McManus is one of Irish jumps' biggest owners, and he likes nothing better than the Cheltenham Festival.
Ahead of the 2019 event, which takes place from Tuesday, March 12 to Friday, March 15 at the Gloucestershire racecourse, he has a number of ante-post favourites for valuable races.
Who are those horses and why are they so fancied? Let's learn more about McManus's mounts...
Le Richebourg
McManus, a long-time supporter of National Hunt horse racing, has never had a winner of the prestigious Arkle Challenge Trophy for novice chasers. Le Richebourg is the leading two-mile novice over fences in Ireland this season after winning two Grade 1 races, including the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown.
The Joseph O'Brien-trained six-year-old gelding will likely be kept apart from other McManus-owned novice chasers to give him every chance of winning other Cheltenham Festival events. Le Richebourg is now 4/1 or shorter with bookmakers for the Arkle.
Defi Du Seuil
Philip Hobbs has got Defi Du Seuil well and truly back on track after saddling him to Grade 1 glory in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase over two-and-a-half miles at Sandown. That means this former Triumph Hurdle hero now heads the market for the JLT over a similar trip at Cheltenham.
While the market on that novice chase is more open than the Arkle, Defi Du Seuil is a best price of 11/2 with the bookies. Expert analysts at social betting site betconnect suggest that this McManus horse is one of his best Cheltenham prospects if replicating Sandown form at the Festival.
Ok Corral
Yet another novice chase at Cheltenham, the National Hunt Challenge Cup tests a horse's stamina, as the race is over a whopping four miles and McManus has had five previous winners of this event. Only amateur jockeys are allowed to run in the race and Ok Corral was notably partnered by Derek O'Connor in his last victory in a Listed race at Warwick.
That West Midlands racecourse has stiff fences, which are widely viewed as being ideal prep for future staying chasers. British Champion Trainer Nicky Henderson has lightly raced Ok Corral, who is a nine-year-old and everything points to him running in the National Hunt Chase rather than the three-mile RSA as he's a strong 100/30 market leader.
Buveur D'Air
© Carine06
As the leading owner in Champion Hurdle history with seven wins, McManus loves to have a winner of the big two-mile feature race on the opening day of the Festival. Istabraq won it three times between 1998 and 2000, and Buveur D'Air is now looking to emulate him and complete a hat-trick.
This Henderson-trained eight-year-old is in the perfect hands as he's the most successful handler in the Champion Hurdle. Although facing a strong challenge from mares, who will get a 7lb sex allowance from him, Buveur D'Air remains 2/1 favourite in this year's renewal so is still the one to beat.
Sir Erec
Ireland's juvenile crop looks a cut above the British four-year-olds this season and, despite McManus's pre-Festival purchase of Fakir D'Oudaires, he has the top Emerald Isle-trained horse in that age bracket in Sir Erec. Also trained by O'Brien, whose father Aidan famously saddled Istabraq to four Cheltenham victories, he is all the rage for the Triumph Hurdle.
While Fakir D'Oudairies could be redirected to the Supreme Novices' Hurdle so the pair avoids one another, Sir Erec is 7/4 and shorter for another Grade 1 after landing the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
