The New Lion is one of the most promising UK-trained novice hurdlers to emerge this season and, after romping away with the Challow Hurdle at Newbury over Christmas, has been snapped up by top Irish owner JP McManus.
JP McManus Bolsters His 2025 Cheltenham Festival Team With The New Lion
The famous green and gold horse racing silks of JP McManus go hand-in-hand with the Cheltenham Festival over the years. It will be a shock if racegoers don’t see his colours in the winners’ enclosure again in March.
Big names like Fact To File, who is already one of the big fancies with the best Cheltenham betting sites for the Gold Cup, will run for JP McManus. His prolific two-mile chaser Jonbon also heads the market for the Queen Mother Champion Chase on the Wednesday.
While JP’s 2024 Triumph Hurdle winner Majborough is also the second favourite in the 2025 Arkle Novices’ Chase betting. However, the latest name to join the McManus army is THE NEW LION, who went into many a notebook after a facile win in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury on December 28th (watch below).
The New Lion was previously owned by Darren Yates and his wife Annaley and, despite saying after his Challow Hurdle win that only “a really silly offer” would tempt them from selling this exciting prospect who they talked up as a future Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup winner, the horse had a price they couldn’t refuse.
That ‘silly offer’ came in, with JP McManus having some of the deepest pockets in horse racing. The undisclosed fee was enough to sway the Yates clan into selling.
The New Lion is currently one of the big Cheltenham Festival favourites – topping the betting for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle.
Frank Berry (JP’s racing manager) said:
“It’s just happened in the last day or so. He looks as though he’s going the right way and we hope all goes well. He needs to be lucky, that’s all.”
“The New Lion will remain with trainer Skelton, but running plans have yet to be determined. There is no news,” Berry added. “The deal has only just been done, so I have no idea at this stage.”
The New Lion Career In Numbers
- Age: 6
- Runs: 4
- Wins: 4
- Hurdles Wins: 3
- Career Earnings: £71,491.00
Darren Yates To Quit Racing By The End Of The Jumps Season
In a shock twist, owner Darren Yates also revealed on the Nick Luck podcast on Sunday 5th January that he’ll be getting out of race horse ownership totally by the end of this season.
Stating that despite the experience being amazing and winning a Grade 1 was unreal. However, Yates feels such joy short-lived compared with all the other things owners must put up with in racing.
“The deal massively suits JP, massively suits me,” he said. “It gives me an interest in the horse moving forward. I have a bonus interest, depending on what he does in the future.
“I’m delighted the horse has gone to JP because when I stand back and look at racing in the UK and Ireland. I don’t know where we would be without him.”
He added that he felt owners are not looked after properly, and the prize money is a little depressing.
Yates added that he’ll continue to follow The New Lion, named after one of his previous horses Blaklion. A horse he paid £300,000 for prior to the 2019 Grand National but missed the race through injury.
Blakion went onto win just two races for Yates. Both successes came at Haydock, winning £11,773 and £13,879.
Yates also famously paid a staggering £620,000 for a horse called Interconnected. He failed to win a race after his purchase.
How Much Did JP McManus Pay For The New Lion?
The actual figure that JP McManus paid for The New Lion hasn’t been disclosed, with the deal a private sale between the two parties.
However, reports say that Yates wouldn’t have sold his star possession cheap. With rumours of JP McManus paying in the region of £1m for the son of Kayf Tara.
Who Will Train The New Lion?
The good news for The New Lion’s trainer Dan Skelton (and his jockey brother Harry Skelton) is that part of the deal that Darren Yates brokered was to keep the horse in their West Midlands yard.
McManus agreed to this, so the horse doesn’t need to move ahead of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
Where Will The New Lion Run Next?
The New Lion won’t run now until the 2025 Festival, where you can expect him to figure in many Cheltenham betting offers and free bets.
Which Race Will The New Lion Run In At The 2025 Cheltenham Festival?
The New Lion is the current favourite for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle. With the race formerly known as the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and registered as the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle.
This race opens day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival schedule on Wednesday, 12th March. Ballyburn won it last season with a bloodless success under Paul Townend for Willie Mullins and Ronnie Bartlett.
The latest Cheltenham odds for The New Lion for the Turners have him as the 5/2 favourite, but subject to change.
