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Cheltenham Festival News |
| Monday 10th October 2016 | |
J P McManus, Big Buck's & Quevega inducted into Cheltenham Hall Of Fame
Cheltenham Racecourse has announced three new inductees to the Hall Of Fame ahead of the new season at the Home of Jump Racing - J P McManus, Big Buck's & Quevega.
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J P McManus is the most successful owner of all-time at The Festival, with his tally currently standing at 48 winners.
Mister Donovan set the ball rolling for Limerick-born Irishman when landing what is now the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle in 1982. He enjoyed four wins at The Festival in 2016, including Ivanovich Gorbatov in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
His 48 successes at The Festival are headed by three-time Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq, who scooped the championship event in 1998, 1999 and 2000. McManus is the winning-most owner of all-time in the Champion Hurdle with five victories. After Istabraq's treble, he went on to win the highlight of Champion Day with both Binocular (2010) and Jezki (2014).
Synchronised gave McManus a long-awaited success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2012, while the owner has enjoyed victories in the World Hurdle three times courtesy of Barracouda (2002 & 2003) and More Of That (2014).
A famed gambler, renowned for his tilts in the ring at Cheltenham, McManus is truly a part of the folklore of The Festival.
Big Buck's
Big Buck's created history in 2012 when becoming the first horse to win the World Hurdle four times.
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Trained by Paul Nicholls in Somerset for owners the Stewart Family, Big Buck's won the World Hurdle in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and was a firm favourite with the racing public.
In addition to his four World Hurdles, he was also triumphant at the Home of Jump Racing in the Cleeve Hurdle (2009 & 2012) and a handicap hurdle on New Year's Day, 2009.
In all, he won 10 races at Grade One level and broke Sir Ken's longstanding record for consecutive wins over Jumps, when recording 17 victories between January, 2009 and April, 2012.
Quevega
Quevega is the only horse to have won the same race at The Festival six consecutive times, landing the OLBG Mares' Hurdle (for the David Nicholson Trophy) in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
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The previous record was five consecutive victories, set by Golden Miller in the Cheltenham Gold Cup during the 1930s.
Trained in Ireland by Willie Mullins for owner the Hammer & Trowel Syndicate, Quevega was partnered by Ruby Walsh for each of her half-dozen victories at The Festival.
She was successful on 16 of her 24 starts. She was also victorious four times in the World Series Hurdle at Punchestown.
Following the redevelopment of Cheltenham Racecourse in 2015, a bar was named in her honour.
Ian Renton , Regional Director for Cheltenham, commented: "We are delighted to add Big Buck's, Quevega and J P McManus to Cheltenham's Hall of Fame.
"The Hall of Fame recognises horses and humans that have performed to the highest level at Cheltenham and provided racing fans with many moments to cherish.
"I am pleased that we are able to remember and enjoy all those moments within the Hall of Fame."
The Hall of Fame will also be recreated within the Vestey Bar in The Princess Royal Stand ahead of the start of the 2016/2017 season which commences with The Showcase on October 21 & 22.
