06 March 2024 , 11:52
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JP McManus has swooped to buy a Cheltenham Festival favourite just days before the meeting begins.
Meetingofthewaters, the 5-1 favourite for the Ultima, will run in his green and gold colours after a late deal was completed.
The seven-year-old chaser is trained by Willie Mullins, who has the strongest team at the four-day flagship event next week. It mirrors a move from 12 months ago, when McManus, leading owner with 73 wins on the board, bought another exciting prospect from Paul Byrne.
Corbetts Cross was in with a big chance when he ran out in a dramatic conclusion to the Albert Bartlett trophy – and he is one of the top National Hunt Chase contenders this time.
Paddy Power Chase winner Meetingofthewaters has been touted at Festival preview events, where experts give their top tips for the week.
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As things stand he is set to carry 11st 2lb to race for £70,338 on the opening day, when McManus has other key runners.
Jeriko Du Reponet goes for the Supreme, which opens the prestigious fixture, while Milan Tino has been a market mover in. the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
JP McManus-owned horse Jonbon (left) is second favourite for the Champion Chase (Getty Images)Later on the programme, McManus will see Mullins-trained Brown Advisory fancy Fact To File compete in his famous silks.
In the all-time Cheltenham records, the billionaire businessmen had the most winners in 2019, 2020 and 2023. Four years ago he enjoyed seven, a haul which included Epatante's Champion Hurdle – a race.he won on three occasions with legend Istabraq. His horse Iberico Lord has been supplemented for this year's renewal, following the withdrawal of Nicky Henderson's reigning titleholder Constitution Hill.
In 2012, McManus teamed up with AP McCoy to take the Gold Cup with Jonjo O'Neill's horse Synchronised. The Gloucestershire trainer has a market leader for McManus, Crebilly, in this year's Plate contest a week tomorrow.