THURSDAY, MARCH 12 2020 ONE FIFTIETH OF LE HAVRE BRINGS €300K ALL THE GLITTERS A one-fiftieth share in top French sire Le Havre (Ire) (Noverre) IS GREEN AND GOLD brought €300,000 during Wednesday=s Arqana Online auction. The winning bid was made by Montfort et Preaux acting as agent. Beginning at 11 a.m. this morning, the auction attracted 10 bids between five different entities, and ended at approximately 6:17 p.m. The sire of dual Classic heroines La Cressonniere (Fr) and Avenir Certain (Fr), Le Havre is credited with 34 black-type winners, 12 at the group level. In addition to his Classic winners, he has also sired fellow Group 1 winners Suedois (Fr) and Villa Marina (GB). The Haras de Montfort et Preaux resident stands for €50,000 this term and has 16 3-year-olds entered in the French Classics. JP McManus chats with Barry Geraghty in those famous silks IN TDN AMERICA TODAY Racing Post MUNNINGS ON TRACK FOR BIG OAKS SEASON By Emma Berry Munnings is enjoying one of his best years so far with five stakes CHELTENHAM, UKCThe green and gold hooped colours of JP winners. Katie Ritz chronicles the chestnut’s rise up the General McManus have become over the last three decades the silks Sires’ List. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. most readily associated with the Cheltenham Festival and, on top of a ninth Champion Hurdle victory on Tuesday, the owner enjoyed another four wins to cap a memorable birthday week. With 64 Festival victories, McManus has accrued more than double the number of Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud, his nearest rival on the owners' roll of honour. Involved with him in his first two winners of the dayCChamp (Ire) (King's Theatre {Ire}) in the G1 RSA Insurance Novices' Chase and the mare Dame De Compagnie (Fr) (Lucarno) in the G3 Coral CupCwere his fellow leaders in their respective divisions, jockey Barry Geraghty and trainer Nicky Henderson. But it has long been a feature of McManus's strategy that he spreads his horses far and wide, usually in his native Ireland and in Britain, often leaving a high-profile purchase with the horse's existing trainer. And so it is that his sole horse in training in France currently provided a first Cheltenham success for young trainer David Cottin, the former French champion jump jockey. Cottin's Easysland (Fr) (Gentlewave {Ire}) broke many a heart when leading the darling of National Hunt racing, Tiger Roll (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), a merry dance in posting a 17-length win under Jonathan Plouganou in the long and winding Glenfarclas Chase. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 6 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 12 MARCH 2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Cont. from p1 Beaten here this day last year when second to City Island (Ire) The four-time Festival winner Tiger Roll failed to sparkle in his in the G1 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, Champ had been faultless usual manner in ground much softer than he enjoys and against in three starts since then until falling on his return to a rival four years his junior who has won his last six races, Cheltenham on New Year's Day. He has a major ally in Barry including over this specialist course in December. Six years after Geraghty, who succeeded McCoy as the retained jockey for he made his Festival debut, finishing second, 18 lengths clear of McManus and is the leading jockey this week and overall at the the rest, is no disgrace, however, and if Tiger Roll's trainer Festival, his 41 victories including four Champion Hurdles, five Gordon Elliott was ruing his luck then that soon turned back in Champions Chases and two Gold Cups. his favour. He provided the fourth winner of the McManus He said, "I knew I still had a chance on Champ turning in but quartet, Aramax (Ger) (Maxios {GB}), in the next race, the G3 after jumping the second-last, I wasn't making up any ground Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. and was still struggling. I knew when I committed to pop the last fence that the two in front of me had not jumped brilliantly at Champ Lives Up To His Name that fence. As soon as he picked up, I was about three lengths During his riding days, multiple champion jockey AP McCoy down by then and I knew it was over. It's very tacky ground and was the master of the driving finish and the horse named in his hard work. It was all about finding a rhythm and helping him honour by his former boss JP McManus delivered a determined travel, so I didn't have to ask too many questions." late surge for glory of which McCoy would have been proud. Trainer Nicky Henderson added, "This is the first time he has Champ burst from a seemingly untenable position to snatch been back to three miles since Aintree last yearCI purposely victory from long-time leader Allaho (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) and went two and a half all season, and then we had that fall. That challenger Minella Indo (Ire) (Beat Hollow {GB}) as the testing really upset plans a bit. But we've done a lot of schooling at ground took its toll on tired legs at the end of the three-mile RSA homeCBarry has been over a few times and Nico [de Boinville] Chase. has done a lot of work; he's a wonderful schooling jockey." Cont. p3 Harry Skelton celebrates victory on Politologue (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}) in the Grade 1 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham. racingfotos.com TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 6 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 12 MARCH 2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Cont. Champ's victory also brought a broad smile to the face of Philip Myerscough, who bred the 8-year-old with his wife Jane. Watching the presentation to the winning connections from the enclosure, he said, "I was proud of him before today and I'm even more proud now." Senior Vice President Gary King The son of the late champion sire King's Theatre has close ties Twitter: @garykingTDN to another champ, the treble Gold Cup winner Best Mate (Ire) [email protected] (Un Desperado {Fr}), who was a half-brother to his dam China + 1.732.320.0975 Sky (Ire) (Definite Article {Ire}). The 15-year-old mare, who was also trained by Henderson in her earlier days, is one of three International Editor National Hunt broodmares at the Myerscough family's Kelsey Riley Colbinstown Stud. Younger offspring of China Sky will be gracing Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN the store sales later this year, with her 4-year-old gelding by [email protected] Fame And Glory (GB) set to go to the Goffs Land Rover Sale and European Editor his year-younger brother by Presenting (GB) slated for the Emma Berry Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. China Sky also has a 2-year-old Twitter: @collingsberry gelding by Walk In The Park (Ire). [email protected] Myerscough added, "Best Mate's dam Katday lived with us for many years so it's a family we've known for a long time. You Associate International Editor could dream of a Gold Cup the way he won that." Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Flying The Flag Marketing Manager It was a day for patriotic silks. Not only did McManus's Alayna Cullen Irish-themed silks grace the winner's enclosure on four Twitter: @AlaynaCullen occasions, but the red, white and blue of British-based Cheveley [email protected] Park Stud were carried by the winners of the first and last races of the dayCthough both are trained in Ireland. Contributing Editor Gordon Elliott's Envoi Allen (Fr) (Muhtahtir {GB}) won the G1 Alan Carasso Twitter: @EquinealTDN Weatherbys Champion Bumper here last year and on his return to Cheltenham he was considered one of the bankers of the Cafe Racing week ahead of the G1 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, which he duly Sean Cronin won under Davy Russell. The bumper baton was then passed to Tom Frary another member of Cheveley Park Stud's select National Hunt [email protected] string, Ferny Hollow (Ire) (Westerner {GB}), who led home a one-two for what is likely a very relieved Willie Mullins, who had Irish Correspondent saddled five placed runners up until then. Daithi Harvey David and Patricia Thompson are of course better known as Regular Columnists top-class Flat owner/breeders, with their extensive Newmarket Chris McGrath | John Berry stud standing the redoubtable homebred Pivotal (GB) at the John Boyce | Amy Lynam head of its stallion roster. But David Thompson and his son Melissa Steele Richard have long had a passion for jump racing and in recent seasons they have invested heavily in some exciting National IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY Hunt prospects. That outlay has now been rewarded with two winners at each of the last two Cheltenham FestivalsCwhich is COOLMORE’S CHIANTI HAS PROMISING FUTURE easier said than doneCand an extra interest on the racecourse Boom filly Chianti (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Ire}) won at first asking during the winter months while their Flat horses are out of at Warwick Farm. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN action. Cont. p4 Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 6 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 12 MARCH 2020 Cheltenham Day 2 Cont. The grey Politologue (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}) is an extremely Envoi Allen had been bought for the Thompsons at likeable character, however, and one who has lined up for this Cheltenham two years ago when agent Tom Malone went to race in the last three seasons, finishing fourth in 2018 and ,400,000 for the winning point-to-pointer on their behalf at one runner-up last year to Altior.