Sir Alex Ferguson eyes up £2.2m payday this weekend – to kickstart what could be his biggest year ever on the racecourse
MAN UTD legend Sir Alex Ferguson is eyeing up a colossal £2.2million payday this weekend – in what could very well be his biggest season ever on the racecourse.
The former Old Trafford boss was obsessed with the nags even during his time in charge of the Red Devils.
But since retiring he’s been able to throw all his energy into his horses over jumps and on the level.
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In truth, they’ve probably proved a welcome distraction from the shambles United have been on the pitch since he left.
And one of his top horses in that time has been the Richard Fahey-trained Spirit Dancer, who scooped Sir Alex and pals another £500,000 with his second straight Bahrain Trophy win last month.
A true globetrotter who also won in Saudi Arabia in February, Spirit Dancer has earnings of more than £2m.
But this Sunday could prove his most lucrative visit to the track ever when he lines up in the Hong Kong Cup – worth £2.15m to the winner.
It will be a hectic 48 hours for the Scot, with his exciting novice chaser L’Eau du Sud odds-on 13-8 favourite to land the Grade 1 King Henry VIII Chase at Sandown on Saturday.
Victory there is worth £56,950 and, coupled with a potential Spirit Dancer success, would scoop the 82-year-old and pals Ged Mason and Peter Done £2.2m.
Spirit Dancer will be up against it taking on the brilliant Romantic Warrior, though, and is 14-1 with Ladbrokes.
But trainer Fahey reckons he is still improving and has every chance at Sha Tin.
He said: “It’s the second occasion he’s won the Bahrain Trophy and it was a very fast time he recorded there, not many people having picked up on that.
“It was four-and-a-half seconds faster than the year before and it was the manner in which he did it too, he travelled really well.
“You need a bit of that here, you need speed and if he could run the same sort of race then he could maybe run above his odds.”
Not that his owner is piling the pressure on, though.
Fahey added: “I think as Sir Alex has got older maybe he’s mellowed out a little bit but he is thoroughly enjoying his racing.
“I know he’s got some decent National Hunt horses at home and they’ve been running well, but just to see everything here – he’s really into it now, which means the trainer’s got to make sense when he’s talking!
“I’ve not experienced the ‘hairdryer’ anyway, I think that was all made up, he’s a pure gentleman, Sir Alex.”
Will Sir Alex break the bank this weekend?
By Sam Morgan
The iconic manager was famed for his late comebacks and never-say-die attitude – and Spirit Dancer will need it this weekend if he is to get the better of Romantic Warrior.
The six-year-old 4-9 fav for the Hong Kong Cup is a cash machine, having made his owner just shy of £16m.
That figure puts Spirit Dancer’s performances into perspective… although they do always race for huge money in Hong Kong.
The odds probably have it about right for that race at Sha Tin, with Romantic Warrior unbeaten in four Group 1s this year.
Sir Alex’s best chance of a winner looks to be L’Eau Du Sud, although Gordon Elliott is hoping to ruin his party.
The Irish trainer has declared the promising Down Memory Lane and Touch Me Not for the 2m Sandown novice.
That was something of a surprise and the form of the Irish runners is always to be taken seriously against Brit rivals, especially as these two both won last time out.
Just look at the way the Presbury Cup has gone over the past few years…
L’Eau Du Sud could not have been more impressive when scooting up by 11 lengths in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham when last seen and is 10-1 for the Arkle.
Sir Alex, who twice smashed the record for the most-expensive jumps horse sold, also has the awesome Caldwell Potter and Regent’s Stroll at his disposal.
Both trained by Paul Nicholls, Caldwell Potter made all on his chase debut at Carlisle last week.
While Regent’s Stroll – who cost Sir Alex and pals a then world-record £660,000 – blew away rivals with a nine-length win on his hurdles bow at Newbury last month.
It looks like both will be aimed at March’s Cheltenham Festival, where Sir Alex had a dream day last March winning £275,000 in a matter of hours thanks to Protektorat and Monmiral.
Regent’s Stroll is 25-1 for the 2m5f Turners’ Novices Hurdle and Albert Bartlett over 3m.
While Caldwell Potter is 20-1 for the 3m Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase and 33s for the Arkle.
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