JP McManus has acquired Oldschool Outlaw, the only horse to defeat Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever, bolstering his team for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival. Meanwhile, unbeaten bumper prospect Oh My Word has transferred to trainer Tony Martin's yard. These moves signal strong preparations for the spring event.
JP McManus, a prominent owner in National Hunt racing, recently purchased Oldschool Outlaw from Francis Mangan. This mare, previously trained by Gordon Elliott, secured a Listed bumper victory on her stable debut. Last month, she delivered a surprise win over Bambino Fever in a Naas maiden hurdle, marking the latter's first career loss. The form gained credibility when Bambino Fever triumphed by 12 lengths at Fairyhouse in her subsequent outing.
McManus's racing manager, Frank Berry, praised the acquisition. "She did it very well that day, although I’d say the other mare improved a lot from the run," Berry noted. "You’d be very impressed by how Bambino Fever won last time, but Oldschool Outlaw is a nice mare."
A potential showdown awaits at the Cheltenham Festival, where Oldschool Outlaw is quoted at 10-1 for the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, trailing the 2-1 favorite Bambino Fever. Berry indicated flexibility in plans: "She'll probably run in the Solerina on Saturday, and that will tell us a lot. It will be interesting to see how she gets on and we can make more plans after that."
In related news, Oh My Word, a five-year-old gelding by Poet’s Word owned by Seamus Ross, has moved from Tom Cleary's stable to Tony Martin. The horse notched an impressive debut win at Navan in November and followed up with an 11-length victory in a Listed bumper there last month. Now priced around 12-1 for the Champion Bumper, Martin emphasized a cautious approach. "We’ve done nothing with him really since, because the plan was to go easy on him for a while after he had his couple of bumpers," Martin said. "He’s just coming back from a break now, so we’ll see how we go. There’s no firm plan for Cheltenham at the moment."
These developments, announced on January 20, 2026, highlight intensifying competition ahead of the festival.