JP McManus’s kind gesture to schoolboy at Cheltenham Festival

15 March 2023 , 19:04

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Teenager John Gleeson celebrates victory in the JP McManus silks (Image: PA)

JP McManus ensured teenager John Gleeson had his dream come true when he let him keep the ride on one of his best chances at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival and was rewarded with his 70th success at the meeting.

Billionaire McManus bought A Dream To Share after he won at Leopardstown in February for then owner Claire Gleeson, wife of ITV Racing pundit Brian Gleeson, and her 18-year-old amateur rider son.

Rather than insist on a professional taking the mount at Cheltenham, the new owner said Gleeson could keep the mount in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, which A Dream To Share won at odds of 7-2., delivering a first Festival win for his 85-year-old trainer John Kiely.

Gleeson Jr said: “Mr McManus was very generous. He said I would definitely keep the ride here today. There was no pressure from him. It’s brilliant. I’m very grateful.

“I’ve been going to John Kiely for as long as I can remember. I ride out this horse every day before I go to school so it is very special.”

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Gleeson, who is doing his Leaving Certificate this year, added: “I’ve had to park the books for a week. It’s definitely been worth it.”

Brian Gleeson has been reporting from the betting ring for ITV but also bred A Dream To Share.

“It’s tremendous,” he said. “The Cheltenham Festival, your son riding, in those colours and trained by a maestro in John Kiely. It doesn’t get any better. It’s nearly a book.

“He was named by Claire. We always say that everything good in life is worth sharing and we always thought this horse was good.

“On Christmas Day Claire said, ‘I’m going to call this horse A Dream To Share’, trained by John Kiely, with the dream to win at the Cheltenham Festival.

“Everyone loves John Kiely. This man is 86 in May. He’s been second in a Cheltenham Festival with Take Five, third with Frawley and now he has had his first Festival winner, JP’s 70th and John Gleeson’s first. It’s fairytale stuff.”

Jon Lees