JP McManus: ‘The race I’ve always wanted to win’
No-one could describe JP McManus as a fair-weather owner. His first runner in the Grand National, Deep Gale, fell at the first in 1982 and McManus had seen his colours carried everywhere bar the winner’s enclosure until Don’t Push It finally brought the victory that his owner had sought for so long.
Jump racing’s biggest owner has been fixated with the Grand National for 50 years and he put Don’t Push It’s victory at the top of his many successes in the sport. "There’s no doubt that this was the race I’ve always wanted to win. The National is the National and to win it is great," McManus said.
"The first one I remember is Merryman [in 1960] and I think I first came here in 1976 for Rag Trade. It’s great to have a runner and it’s even better when you win. I suppose as a child the one race you know about is the Grand National and it means such a lot. My mum, my dad, we all loved the National and we were encouraged to have a bet.
"You come to the National more in hope than expectation and then you are not disappointed and if I had 10 good enough to run in the race I’d run them.
"I want to thank Alan Berry, who looks after this horse and all the team at Jonjo’s, the horse needs an enormous amount of individual training.
"Although we had four runners, we were down to one after the Chair and I thought that only four or five could win from the second circuit and I knew Don’t Push It would get the trip.
"It’s just a very, very special day for us all. AP really deserved to win this race and I’m just so glad it was on one of mine."
JP McManus’s Grand National record: 1982 Deep Gale (fell 1st), 1988 Bucko (pulled up before 27th), 1992 Laura's Beau (3rd), 1994 Laura’s Beau (fell 6th), 1996 Wylde Hide (unseated rider 24th), 1997 Wylde Hide (unseated rider 22nd); 1998 Gimme Five (5th), 2002 Spot Thedifference (unseated rider 27th); 2003 Youlneverwalkalone (pulled up before 13th); 2004 Clan Royal (2nd), Spot Thedifference (5th), Risk Accessor (unseated rider 6th), Le Coudray (fell 22nd); 2005 Innox (7th), Spot Thedifference (18th), Shamawan (21st), Clan Royal (carried out 22nd), Le Coudray (pulled up before 21st), Risk Accessor (unseated rider 2nd); 2006 Clan Royal (3rd), Risk Accessor (5th), Innox (fell 1st), First Gold (unseated rider 23rd); 2007 L’Ami (10th), Clan Royal (11th); 2008 King Johns Castle (2nd), L’Ami (fell 2nd), Bob Hall (pulled up before 19th), Butler’s Cabin (fell 22nd); 2009 Butler’s Cabin (7th), Reveillez (brought down 3rd), Can’t Buy Time (fell 18th), L’Ami (pulled up before 30th); 2009 DON’T PUSH IT (1st), King Johns Castle (refused to start), Arbor Supreme (unseated rider 15th), Can’t Buy Time (unseated rider 8th).
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