Cerberus snapped up by J.P. McManus

LEADING juvenile hurdler Cerberus will race in the colours of J.P. McManus on his next start.

Joseph O’Brien’s charge was previously owned by the Good Counsellors Syndicate, which is made up of past pupils of the Good Counsel College in New Ross. Syndicate members include Irish rugby international Tadhg Furlong and Kilkenny hurling star Walter Walsh.

Cerberus was last seen beating his stablemate A Wave Of The Sea – already owned by McManus – in a Grade 3 race at Fairyhouse at the start of the month.

Aidan O’Brien, deputy principal of the Good Counsel College and head of the syndicate group, said: “We had him leased from Annemarie O’Brien. We always operated on the understanding that the horse was for sale and that if an offer came in for him he would be sold. We had an agreement to that effect.

“Obviously that didn’t look likely at certain stages. He was very disappointing on the flat at Gowran and it was hard to know which direction he was going to go.

“We gelded him after that and sent him hurdling. Straight away you could tell that his hurdling form was going to surpass his flat form.

“After he won in Fairyhouse the first day we were getting a bit nervous that a move might be made for him, but thankfully that didn’t happen and he went on and won the Grade 3, which was fantastic.

“Joseph gave me a call a couple of days later and said J.P. was after coming in for him and he was going to buy him – business is business.

“We had great days with him and we are very grateful to Joseph and Annemarie O’Brien for putting us into the horse.”

Mabs Cross sold to Qatar Racing

THE Group 1-winning sprinter Mabs Cross has been purchased privately by Qatar Racing and will be covered by Zoustar. By Dutch Art, the mare had been led out unsold at 1.1 million guineas at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale but a deal was later agreed with her owner-breeders David and Emma Armstrong.

Mabs Cross won seven of her 20 races for trainer Michael Dods, including the 2018 Prix de l’Abbaye. She lost out by a nose to Alpha Delphini in the Nunthorpe Stakes that year and also placed in that year’s King’s Stand Stakes and the 2019 Nunthorpe.