FEATURE - JP McManus: The thrill of the turf 30 November -0001 Premium

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Dickie Power on 18 Jun 2021

FEATURE - JP McManus: The thrill of the turf

Dickie and Catherine Power sat down with JP and Noreen McManus at their Martinstown home recently where the conversation turned to racing ownership, the great Istabraq, and the patronage of charities

Dickie Power

18 June 2021

JP and Noreen McManus at home in Martinstown \ Catherine Power

JP McManus with the 2021 Randox Aintree Grand National Trophy at home \ Catherine Power

We did it! Trainer Henry de Bromhead with jockey Rachael Blackmore after winning the 2021 Randox Grand National at Aintree with the JP McManus-owned Minella Times \ Healy Racing

Pictured at Cheltenham in 2000, owner JP McManus (centre) with jockey Charlie Swan and trainer Aidan O'Brien after Istabraq won his third successive Champion Hurdle \ Healy Racing

Pictured at Cheltenham 1998, Istabraq and Charlie Swan winning their first Champion Hurdle for owner JP McManus and trainer Aidan O'Brien \ Healy Racing

JP McManus had a dream introduction to the fraught world of racehorse ownership. Surprisingly his first venture was on the flat.

Just 26 years old, he bought a mare named Cill Dara, trained by Con Collins on the Curragh, who had won the Cesarewitch the previous year. He went on to repeat this victory in 1977.