McManus family end Tipperary sponsorship
JP McManus and his family have sponsored the five National Hunt races on “Super Sunday” since 1997 and have decided to end their association with the meeting after this year.
The sponsorship was worth some €60,000 to the prize fund and the John James McManus Memorial Hurdle was the only Grade One run in Munster.
It was won on three occasions by Istabraq, twice by Intersky Falcon, by dual Galway Plate winner, Ansar, as well as Cheltenham Champion Hurdle runner-up Harchibald and that great mare Solerina.
Peter Roe, manager at Tipperary, said: “We are delighted to have had the McManus family for the last ten years. We are obviously disappointed that the association will end this year. We fully understand, however, the reasons for their decision.”
The official line from HRI is that the race has been downgraded because of “its failure to meet the required rating paramaters.”
Meanwhile, Wayne Lordan has declared himself fit to partner Drayton in the Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
He has been out of action since his fall from We Are The Chelsea, who broke a leg in the closing stages of the Arthur Guinness Handicap at Galway last Thursday.
The jockey had no ill-effects from his injured knee when riding work at Tommy Stack’s Cashel stable yesterday morning and is looking forward to getting back in the saddle.
“I’m going to ride on Sunday. Everything’s spot on,” he said.
“I’ve rode out this morning and it’s very good – I’ll be able to ride no problem.
“He’s worked well since and we’re looking for a big run out of him.”
Lordan has ridden the Stack-trained juvenile in all his four races to date and the son of Danetime is all set to renew rivalry with Holy Roman Emperor in the Group One feature over six furlongs.
