Festival's leading owner JP McManus fields strongest-ever team with odds-on Majborough leading the way on day one

JP McManus might be the most prolific owner in Cheltenham Festival history but never before has he assembled such a powerful team for jumping's biggest meeting.

The legendary owner and gambler has pieced together a staggeringly strong squad to run in his famous green and gold silks across the four days as he aims to add to his record haul of 78 festival winners.

McManus, who had his first festival victory back in 1982, has had a vice-like grip on the ante-post markets for months and the unrivalled depth of his challenge has now come into full focus.

Of the stars leading his team, Majborough is forecast to be the opening day's short-priced favourite in the Arkle, Jonbon is a shade of odds-on for the Champion Chase on Wednesday and Fact To File has shortened up to a best-priced 6-4 since being confirmed for Thursday's Ryanair Chase.

For all the festival success, there are a couple of key races missing from the list but in Majborough and Jonbon, McManus's search for the winner of the Arkle and Champion Chase could soon be over.

Dinoblue is another short-priced market leader in Friday's Mares' Chase, while Kopeck De Mee, who has become the talking horse of the festival, looks likely to go off favourite for either of his last-day targets, the County Hurdle or Martin Pipe. 

Along with Majborough on day one, McManus has three of the top four in the betting for the Fred Winter, including long-time fancy Stencil, yet his challenge is set to get stronger as the week goes on.

Majborough: hot favourite for the ArkleCredit: Patrick McCann

The recently purchased The New Lion will look to prove his worth in Wednesday's Turners Novices' Hurdle before Jonbon bids for his first festival victory in the Champion Chase.

Thursday could be the pivotal day with McManus, who celebrated his 74th birthday on Monday, responsible for the favourite in five of the seven races. Jagwar leads the market for the novice handicap chase and the Plate, a position also held by Jeriko Du Reponet in the Pertemps, Fact To File in the Ryanair and Johnnywho in the Kim Muir.

As well as the aforementioned Dinoblue and Kopeck De Mee, McManus has bolstered his Friday chances by supplementing Inothewayurthinkin for the Gold Cup.

There are plenty of others with leading claims across the week, leading Paddy Power to make it just 3-1 for McManus to claim seven or more races at this week's festival.

Racing's biggest supporter amassed seven winners during a sensational festival in 2020 – could he be about to set the bar even higher?

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