ENGLISH TEXTS next Gold Cup. Nevertheless, his green and gold hoops will be highly visible at Aintree on April 5, particularly on the defending champion and on Iroko( il était deuxième l’ année dernière puisque c’ est. As usual, his colours will appear with different caps and several trainers.
All roads leading to Cheltenham At Cheltenham last month, McManus’ s 36 runners were trained by 13 trainers from Ireland, England, and France, and came from a variety of backgrounds. JP McManus and his close circle— Tony McCoy, Charlie Swan, and Hubert Barbe in France— are always on the lookout for new talent. The New Lion was privately acquired after a Group 1 victory in December. Fact To File joined the team following a successful debut in a point-to-point in Ireland. Most meaningful to the owner, Inothewayurthinkin is a homebred raised by JP’ s wife, Noreen McManus, at their Martinstown Stud, and celebrated on the Cheltenham podium surrounded by their children and grandchildren. While some champions are born at Martinstown, all of JP McManus’ s greats retire there, enjoying a peaceful life in County Limerick, no doubt swapping stories of the remarkable achievements that shaped their owner’ s extraordinary legacy.
BACK TO THE ARTICLE �
� PAGE 16
HORSE
Par Jacob Pritchard-Webb
GRAN DIOSE FOR HISTORY
Two horses I hope to see in this year’ s Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris are the two gladiators who battled it out last year: Grandeur Nature and Gran Diose. Jacob Pritchard-Webb is already looking ahead to the big event at Auteuil on May 18, and spoke with Louisa Carberry about her champion ahead of his 2025 campaign, just days before his seasonal debut.
This 18-hand giant has been nursed and handled carefully by trainer and regular morning rider Louisa Carberry ever since his debut now 5 years ago in a conditions hurdle at Angers. I remembered it well as I rode in the race and finished a place behind him, so like the jockeys that rode in the two Grade One’ s last year I know what his back end looks like.
With a focus on the threeand four-year-old careers of French horses, Carberry took a more typical English type handling of this gangly youngster who didn’ t win his first race until his season debut in a handicap as a five-year-old in March on his sixth start. Her steady and patience approach was proved right again as he then made his chasing debut two starts later at Auteuil and I was lucky enough to ask her how she mapped out his career there on after.” the feeling he gave us even when he was young was that he was going to be a real staying chaser, it just so happened he was good enough and had enough ability to win over hurdles first but we always felt he’ d be better over further which we now know to be true. After his chasing win, we aimed him at the Prix Fondeur a very good listed chased for 5-year old’ s in the autumn. But if I’ d have known now back then I wouldn’ t have done that as he was just too weak to run over that trip. He would travel and jump really really well but not really finish out that strongly over the 4,400 meters which left us, not disappointed because he was trying his best but a bit bemused on what to do.”
A return to the shorter trip A return for Carberry’ s star to the shorter trip showed just how much ability he had as he romped to a twelvelength victory in a quinte off top weight on heavy ground resulting in a five kilogram rise in the handicap. What followed was a season racing at France’ s other premier jumps track Compiegne which allowed him to race at more of the intermediate trip and grow into himself.“ You wouldn’ t believe me, but he grew 5 centimeters from five to six, so he was now fully grown at 18 hands
133