Sir Alex Ferguson goes back to his old football club in search of £50,000 winner with his horse
SIR Alex Ferguson is going back to one of his old stomping grounds in search of a £50,000 winner at the races.
Ayr United were the legendary Manchester United manager’s final club as a player.
He scored nine goals in 24 appearances for The Honest Men – who are now managed by Celtic legend Scott Brown – in the 1973-74 season.
You would have got big odds on Sir Alex returning to nearby Ayr racecourse with his top runner some 50 years later.
But that’s exactly what’s happening with the Dan Skelton-trained L’Eau Du Sud on Saturday afternoon.
The six-year-old gelding was a brilliant runner-up of the County Hurdle at last month’s Cheltenham Festival.
Sent off 7-2 favourite, Dan’s jockey brother Harry was just collared late on by the fast-finishing Absurde, trained by Willie Mullins.
Racing’s famous faces
It’s no surprise that the winners’ enclosures at racetracks all over the world are full of famous faces.
The thrill of winning and landing a fair few quid holds massive appeal for big names from sport and beyond.
Here we look at just a few…
Sir Alex Ferguson
Regularly scoops some of the sport’s biggest prizes with his top runners over the jumps and Flat.
Harry Redknapp
Celebrated his first Cheltenham Festival winner in March 2024, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Dame Judi Dench
James Bond star is a keen observer of her runners on the Flat.
King Charles
Inherited the Royal racing operation from his mother and campaigns horses in the unmistakable red, purple and gold silks.
Jeremy Clarkson
Petrolhead has recently taken his first step into ownership, signing up to a runner with Redknapp’s trainer Ben Pauling.
L’Eau Du Sud was second in his run before that but now heads the market at a best-price 4-1 to claim the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle.
The £56,270 first-place prize is relative peanuts compared to the mega-money races Sir Alex has scooped this season.
His top Flat horse Spirit Dancer has won him and his co-owners just shy of £1.5million.
While the footie icon, 82, went crazy celebrating two Cheltenham Festival winners worth more than quarter of a million quid a few weeks ago.
Skelton will be hoping he has the horse tuned to absolute perfection in his bid to stop Mullins claiming the British trainers’ title.
Irish handler Mullins is throwing the kitchen sink at British racing as he looks to see off Skelton and big rival Paul Nicholls.
Mullins has six runners in the Scottish Grand National and two of his runners have been backed off the boards.
But L’Eau Du Sud – who is co-owned by Ged Mason and John and Lisa Hales – would make a hefty dent in Mullins’ lead – and put the Skeltons on the front foot.
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