After Kevin Manning called time on his long and successful career at Galway, we look back at five of the best horses he rode – all trained by his father-in-law and master handler Jim Bolger.
New Approach
Manning rode this son of Galileo in each of his 11 career starts, with the colt winning on eight occasions and placed the other three times. Having enjoyed the perfect juvenile campaign, which culminated with a victory in the Dewhurst at Newmarket, New Approach found Henrythenavigator too good in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas. Bolger indicated the colt would not run in the Derby but after an administrative error saw the colt left in at Epsom, connections changed tack and the rest is history, as they say. While he was third in the Juddmonte International after that, he ended his career with victories in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, by six lengths. He retired as a five-time Group One winner and has proven himself top-class at stud.
Teofilo
Sporting the famous Jackie Bolger colours, Teofilo enjoyed a fleeting but brilliant career for the Manning-Bolger axis. He did not appear until July when he won a Curragh maiden, stepped up to Listed company two weeks later, won the Futurity a month after that and three weeks later took the National Stakes. The last race of his career saw him win the Dewhurst, once again beating Holy Roman Emperor. Guineas and Derby favourite through the winter, an injury forced his premature retirement.
Dawn Approach
Bred by Bolger himself, he was ultimately bought by Sheikh Mohammed for Godolphin after winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot – which was already the fourth run of his career. Manning was given the leg up for each of his 12 career starts, landing the National Stakes and the Dewhurst to end 2012 as the undisputed champion juvenile. His Classic campaign was quite extraordinary. He won the Guineas at Newmarket and Bolger fancied a crack at the Derby. Unfortunately Dawn Approach gave himself no chance of seeing out the trip, racing extremely keenly for Manning and trailing home in last place. In what was a contentious decision at the time, Bolger brought him back to a mile just 17 days later for the St James's Palace Stakes which he won narrowly from Toronado.
Poetic Flare
A son of Dawn Approach, it transpired that Poetic Flare would be a final Classic winner for Manning. He went into 2021 slightly under the radar, despite winning two of his three starts, partly because he was well beaten in the Dewhurst. He won a Guineas trial at Leopardstown suggesting he was going to be a major player and confirmed that when winning the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Unsuited by soft ground when only sixth in the French version, he was then beaten just a short head by stablemate Mac Swiney in the Irish equivalent. He then produced his best display at Royal Ascot when demolishing a good field in the St James's Palace Stakes before finishing second in the Sussex Stakes and the Jacques le Marois. His final run saw him finish an honourable third to St Mark's Basilica over 10 furlongs in the Irish Champion Stakes.
Finsceal Beo
Manning enjoyed 17 outings with this hardy filly, highlighted by glory in both the English and Irish 1000 Guineas in 2007. Sandwiched between those runs was a head defeat in the French equivalent, with three Classic runs in a month proving the peak of her powers. Finsceal Beo was also a juvenile Group One scorer, but following her Classic wins, she struggled to regain her very best and could not prevail again in nine subsequent runs.
