5 JP McManus horses to follow in 2025
As the countdown to the 2025 Cheltenham Festival intensifies, ever more eyes will be on the owner most readily associated with the meeting, JP McManus.
McManus has won more Cheltenham Festival races than any other owner, with more than 70 wins to his name. His famous green and gold silks are also no stranger to success in other big races, most notably with three wins in the Grand National.
The McManus team is always growing and here are five horses in his colours to look out for in 2025. This list is split between the established names and a couple of emerging forces who can deliver McManus more big-race success.
JP McManus Horses: 1. The New Lion
At the time of writing, the newest recruit of all to the McManus team. He was purchased by McManus in the early days of 2025, as former owner Darren Yates started to wind down his string.
The New Lion is unbeaten in four starts under Rules for Dan Skelton. After winning a bumper at Market Rasen in April, he took everyday novice hurdles at Chepstow and Newbury in the autumn, before returning to the latter course for the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle over Christmas.
The Challow was the first time that The New Lion had not gone off favourite for a race. He made a mockery of that perceived slight, winning by nearly five lengths and was value for a lot more than that.
That catapulted him to the top of the betting for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. That target looks baked in now that McManus is calling the shots.
JP McManus Horses: 2. Fact To File
In Fact To File’s first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival he was second in a McManus-owned one-two in the Champion Bumper behind A Dream To Share.
He made no mistake the following year, when he was sent off 8-13 favourite for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase and won in the style of a horse with the world at his feet.
The big question mark for Fact To File is what is his target in March?
In being humbled by Galopin Des Champs in the recent Savills Chase at Leopardstown, Fact To File did his reputation no great damage, but he will do well to turn the tables in the Gold Cup. Instead, he might be better off in the Ryanair Chase.
JP McManus Horses: 3. Jonbon
McManus spent big to secure this horse, a brother to top chaser Douvan, after he won a point-to-point in November 2020. Since then he has done everything except win at the Cheltenham Festival.
In 19 runs, Jonbon has won 16 times and all three defeats have been at Cheltenham. He still finished second to Constitution Hill in the 2022 Supreme and El Fabiolo in the following year’s Arkle. He has shown he is as good as ever this season, landing his second Tingle Creek last month by a wide margin.
Jonbon has won twice at Cheltenham, so is clearly not averse to the track itself. He looks the one to beat in the Champion Chase as things stand.
JP McManus Horses: 4. Bioluminescence
There was another Cheltenham Festival McManus one-two in last year’s Mares’ Chase. He always seems to have a strong supply of suitable horses for that race and Bioluminescence is quietly working her way into that squad.
This mare is stoutly bred and was always likely to make a better chaser than hurdler. She immediately improved for fences when winning at Limerick in December and she is expected to go from strength to strength in the second half of this season.
JP McManus Horses: 5. Iroko
While you would not lay big prices that McManus could have a quarter of the Grand National field come the big day on April 13th, at the moment Iroko looks an obvious first string for the race.
This horse is bred to stay well and only had one run over staying trips last season, when second in a Grade 1 novice at the National meeting. He has been campaigned in small-field races so far this term and is qualified for the Grand National now.
His mark ought to get him in and Iroko looks like a classic McManus plot towards one of jumps racing’s major prizes.
By Keith Melrose
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