JP McManus star Le Coudray dies at age of 24

Le Coudray, a dual Grade 1 winner over fences for J P McManus and Christy Roche in 2002, has died at McManus’s Martinstown Stud in County Limerick at the age of 24.

Frank Berry, McManus’s racing manager, said: “Le Coudray has passed away at Martinstown where he spent his retirement. At his best, he was a good horse over hurdles and fences and gave us some very good days.”

A son of Phantom Breeze, Le Coudray won five times over hurdles in France before being bought by McManus, for whom he made a winning debut at Naas in January 1999 when he beat prolific winner Limestone Lad by 20 lengths.

Two months later he was caught close home and beaten a neck by Anzum in the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, before again beating Limestone Lad into second place in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle at Navan.

Aidan O’Brien trained him until he joined Roche and was sent chasing for the 2002-2003 season after injury had kept him off the track for almost three years.

His Grade 1 wins over fences were achieved in December 2002 in the Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse and the Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase (now the Racing Post Novice Chase) at Leopardstown.

He finished second to Best Mate in the 2003 Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown and was also runner-up to Florida Pearl in the 2004 Hennessy Irish Gold Cup also at Leopardstown.

He was retired the winner of 11 of his 29 starts after winning a handicap hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting in 2005.

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