Leading owner JP McManus has snapped up the exciting mare Tiger Bay Queen, who is currently priced 16-1 for next year’s mares’ novice hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Trained by Peter Fahey, the five-year-old was a striking winner of a Listed mares’ bumper at last month’s Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse, and that certainly didn’t go unnoticed.
McManus doesn’t buy any old horse and is usually very shrewd with his purchases, evident with A Dream To Share who won the Cheltenham and Punchestown bumpers, and I Am Maximus who won the Irish Grand National.
Tiger Bay Queen had been off the track for 436 days but defied the absence in unbelievable fashion, forging clear in the closing stages under Jamie Codd for a wide-margin victory.
After that victory, Fahey revealed that she had previously won a schooling hurdle at Tipperary by a long, long way and described her as a “top-class filly”.
Frank Berry, who is McManus’ racing manager, confirmed the sale of the mare to the Racing Post and said he was very impressed by what he saw from her at Fairyhouse.
Berry said: “She did the job very well at Fairyhouse and hopefully she’ll be lucky. She won nicely there and she looks to be a very nice filly.
“She’s gone on her holidays now and I’d say she won’t run again until the autumn, but she’s one to look forward to.”
Bet365 opened her up for the 2024 mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham at odds of 16-1, which is the best price around. That price might not be around come next March.
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