Fergie time comes to Cheltenham on afternoon to remember

Sir Alex Ferguson enjoyed not one but two Cheltenham Festival winners in an unforgettable afternoon on Thursday.

Alongside co-owners John Hales and Ged Mason, former Manchester United boss Ferguson was delighted to see the Paul Nicholls-trained Monmiral land the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle under Harry Cobden.

That victory was not the first time Hales and Mason have been lucky enough to encounter good fortune at the showpiece meeting – but it was a new experience for Ferguson after years of patience.

“I’ve finally had a winner here, I can’t believe it,” he said.

“The jockey was absolutely brilliant on him. What I was thinking at the tapes was ‘what the hell is he doing at the back’, but he crept forward and judged it perfectly.

“I couldn’t understand why before he came to the last John was saying he had won, but that is experience for you. I was just saying ‘just jump the bloody last!’.

“What a jockey, he was right at the back, he’s definitely champion material.

“It has been probably 20 years that I’ve wanted to have a winner here, as when I first started I just had Flat horses and no National Hunt ones.

“I got interested in the jumps with Ged and John. It 100 per cent makes it more enjoyable having a winner with friends. Everyone looks forward to Cheltenham, while on the Flat you have the Derby. These two events are unsurpassed.

“It’s special here, it’s like the Derby or the FA Cup final and I’ve waited a while to experience this.

“A lot of people who buy horses have never had a winner, never mind here. It’s a feeling of elation.

“Of course it’s not the same as winning at football, that was my life, I was immersed in that, this is what I do for pleasure so it’s a different feeling. I don’t have to worry about it, I leave that to the trainer.”

The afternoon only got better as Protektorat then galloped home with the Ryanair Chase for the same owners but a different trainer-jockey combination in Dan and Harry Skelton.

After standing on the podium a second time to claim the winner’s trophy, Ferguson said: “In terms of horses it’s the best (day I’ve had), it’s fantastic. You can’t compare it with the football because it’s a different thing because of the sacrifice of football, I just enjoy this.

“I’ve waited a long time for a winner here, it’s very special.”