Arguably one of the most successful owners in the sport of horse racing, JP McManus certainly has an interesting background.

Multi-billionaire businessman, he essentially came full-circle. Born in Limerick, McManus, full name, John Patrick McManus, started in his family’s construction plant hire firm, before moving into bookmaking at his local greyhound track and earning the early nickname, ‘The Sundance Kid’ because of his high-stakes nature.

In the eighties, McManus pivoted from bookmaking to private foreign exchange trading and this became the primary source for his multi billion euro wealth.

Strategic Partnerships Underlined His Success

Having developed an eye for identifying undervalued, recession proof assets with predictable fortunes, McManus proved to be savvy when it came to building his wealth, securing favourable loans in order to do so, with his investments generating predictable revenue.

As his wealth amassed, McManus started to keep an eye out for strategic alliances and teamed up with a number of influential people. His long-standing partnership with Irish pair John Magnier and Dermot Desmond has served him well over the years.

Indeed, their most high-profile investment was in Manchester United during the early 2000s, which led to a substantial profit upon the trio’s sale of their stake to Malcolm Glazer.

Another of McManus’ investments includes Adare Manor; a luxury golf resort in Limerick which has been transformed into a world-class venue.

Horse Racing Domination

In what swiftly became an expensive ‘hobby’, his love of horse racing also generates him substantial revenue. With over 400 horses in his ‘stable’, McManus has become one of the most recognisable owners in the sport of horse racing.

As such, he has had a significant amount of success, including 80 Cheltenham Festival winners and three Grand National winners (2010, Don’t Push It, 2021, Minella Times, 2024, I Am Maximus).

Significantly, he has won all three of Cheltenham Festival’s big three races; the Champion Hurdle on multiple occasions, the Stayers’ Hurdle many times and the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice.

His long-standing relationships with top jockeys; in particular AP McCoy, Barry Geraghty and Jonjo O’Neil has essentially helped to put his name down in history as one of the most prolific horse racing owners in the sport.

McManus has also owned/owns specific horses that have been well worth their investment. Istabraq delivered him a historic run of three successive Champion Hurdle victories (1998, 1999 and 2000), while Buveur D’Air came close to delivering him another successive trio of this race (2017 and 2018).

McManus Legacy

As well as horse racing and his investment business/portfolio, McManus is also a significant philanthropist; especially in Ireland.

The JP McManus Pro-Am golf tournament attracts global stars like Tiger Woods and has helped to raise a significant amount for charity; indeed, over €140 million. The purpose of this event is to support hundreds of charities across the Mid-West of Ireland.

There is no doubt that McManus has been on somewhat of a spectacular journey, from his roots in Limerick, to the high finance stakes of Geneva in Switzerland and back, though its his involvement in horse racing that will likely jog memories.