JP McManus is the most successful of all-time at The Festival and was handed the best possible present on his 75th birthday as Saratoga (10-1) emerged victorious in the two-mile McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
McManus said: ““I met Michael O’Leary today, he wished me a happy birthday and said, ‘Only the good die young!’
“Every winner at Cheltenham is very, very special. That one I go back a long way with Padraig’s father Christy. I owned the horse’s [half] brother a couple of years ago, Brazil. They were praying that the ground would be fast, as he bounces off it. They were worried the ground might be a bit too soft for him a couple of weeks ago, but every day it was drying out. We are very happy with the horse.
“We’ve had a lot of fun. We’ve had some great days here. Everybody leans towards coming to Cheltenham and it means so much to so many. I’m delighted that one has won for Padraig.”
Asked how difficult of a decision it was to run Fact To File in the Ryanair rather than the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, he said: “He wasn’t entered for the Gold Cup for a reason, [which was] that I was afraid I would be tempted to run him. I worried that he might not get the trip. I know everybody wants to win the Gold Cup, and none more than myself, but I felt that it was the right thing for the horse.”
It was a second success in the contest for trainer Padraig Roche, following Brazil in 2022. He said: “He travelled great and jumped well, and Mark said he stayed well. They went a good gallop too, which helps. He’d run well against a good mare (at Naas) and we thought he’d improve, which he did.
“We came here by near enough the same route when we won this with Brazil, who is his half-brother, and after Christmas we thought we might have a chance. So we’ve had it in mind for a while.
“Getting the horses is half the battle and luckily Frank (Berry) and JP agreed to buy him. We are delighted to have him. He’s very straightforward.
“We would only have 12 or 13 jumpers and five or six for the Flat - that’s all we have. Today was what mattered. We’ll find out if he’s a bit better than a handicapper down the road.”
The successful jockey Mark Walsh said: “I got a great start, I got out where I wanted to be and was sitting third or fourth and they went a good gallop and he jumped great. Sam Twiston-Davies actually said to me, going down to the fifth-last hurdle, a few of these horses in front of us aren’t going to be good enough to lead us, so going to the second-last hurdle I pulled out. Going to the last I sent him on again.
“You’d be hoping that this horse is good enough for Graded races. He gave me a very good feel.
“I was very disappointed with Mighty Park in the first race - he jumped and travelled great; when I asked him to pick up the pace he just struggled and couldn’t quicken enough. He’s probably going to be a stayer in time. It was only his second racecourse run so it was a big ask for him. We gave it a shot, anyway.”
Faye Bramley, trainer of the second Winston Junior, said: “I’m delighted. Jack (Kennedy, jockey) said he’s a lovely horse and he’s got a bright future, so we’re really pleased. Jack actually apologised a bit for getting barged out at the start, but that’s racing. He settled well, which is great - he’s been pulling in his last few runs, and he settled down well today.
“I tend to leave decisions about future races to the owners, because there’s a lot of them, but we’ll see how he is after this and make a plan.”
Harry Bannister, rider of the third Klycot, said: “That was a great run. He’s done nothing wrong on all his starts and Richard’s horses are in great form. He’s taken it to another level here so I’m delighted with that.
"He’s promising enough and I could see homecoming back for some of the bigger handicaps next year. All being well he’ll stay on this upward curve.”
JP McManus – 85 Festival wins
Padraig Roche – 3 Festival wins
Mark Walsh – 15 Festival wins
