Sports
Birthday double for J.P. McManus at Cheltenham
Saratoga and Johnnywho gave Limerick man J.P. McManus a 75th birthday double at Cheltenham this afternoon.
Saratoga (10/1), in the hands of Mark Walsh, took the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at 2.40pm.
The grey four-year-old son of Camelot ran out a two and a quarter length victor in the two-mile contest.
Half an hour later, the McManus double was complete.
Mallow-born jockey Richie McLernon, just back from injury, won the Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) with Johnnywho (18/1), a third success in the race for the Corkman.
With Jaguar (3/1 favourite) finishing just half a length back in second, the result was actually a 1-2 for top owner McManus.
Later McManus’ The New Lion was third in the day’s feature race, the Grade 1 Unibet Champion Hurdle, behind the Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead.