Pure Steel Joins Mangan's Growing Cheltenham Arsenal

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Jimmy Mangan doesn’t train many horses. He doesn’t need to. The Kerry handler runs a yard of just 12 active runners — and yet he keeps finding himself in the winner’s enclosure at the highest level.

Pure Steel’s 12-length demolition of his rivals in Sunday’s Rated Novice Chase at Punchestown was the latest reminder that Mangan’s small operation continues to punch absurdly above its weight.

The Numbers That Matter

Since the start of 2024, Mangan has sent out 12 runners in graded or listed company and won four of them — a 33% strike rate. For context, Willie Mullins, with the largest and most powerful yard in training, manages around 24% in equivalent races at Gowran Park, his local track.

Spillane's Tower on The Race Lab

Pure Steel Joins Mangan's Growing Cheltenham Arsenal

The Numbers That Matter