JP McManus’s latest big-money purchase hasn’t even set foot in his new yard yet but is already heading the market for a race at the Cheltenham Festival.
A winner of five of his six cross-county starts in France, Prengarde is set to join Irish trainer Enda Bolger – widely known as the ‘Cross Country King’.
The six-year-old’s talent in discipline combined with the nature of his new connections has already set the ante-post market for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase ablaze.
Prengarde is now the 5/1 favourite for the race with William Hill and Paddy Power, Sky Bet are already at 4/1 with no firm going bigger than 6/1.
The French recruit has vaulted ahead of the two most recent winners of race, Tiger Roll and Easysland, in the market.
“He’s on his way to Enda,” Frank Berry, racing manager to JP McManus, told the Racing Post.
“He’s only just turned six and there is no definite plan for him yet. With all the travel complications at the moment it has taken a while to get him over from France.”
Prengarde’s last victory before changing hands was in the Grand Cross de Compiegne in November, a race Easysland before joining the McManus roster in 2019.
That success caught the eye of Charlie Swan, responsible for most of McManus’s purchases in France, as well as bloodstock agent Hubert Barbe.
Barbe said: “He has the sort of profile that Charlie Swan is always on the lookout for and he’s the sort of horse you always look for with Cheltenham in mind. He has a similar profile to Easysland, albeit with a little less in the way of guarantees.
“He’s reached his limits over hurdles and chasing but is really thriving in the cross-country sphere and Charlie has had his eye on him for a while. The time seemed right to try to buy him.”
The team of McManus and Bolger have been the dominant force in the festival’s cross-country race since the race was added to the meeting’s schedule in 2005.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
The pair have won four of the first five runnings of the race, thanks to Spot Thedifference, Heads Onthe Ground and dual winner Garde Champetre.
Barbe added: “Compiegne is quite a galloping track and so he looks like he’ll be suited by the major prizes at Cheltenham, while I don’t think he would suit the really big cross-country courses here like Pau.
“He’s more of a JP type of horse for Britain and Ireland. He’s well bred and I think he has a good future.”
CROSS COUNTRY CHASE ODDS – PADDY POWER
Prengarde – 5/1
Tiger Roll – 6/1
Easysland – 7/1
Shady Operator – 9/1
Ajas – 10/1
Farclas – 12/1
14/1 Bar
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to SE. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
