Sir Alex Ferguson has done it all in the football world. Premier League titles, FA Cups, Champions Leagues, you name it, the legendary manager has won it. Fergie’s love of football was unending, but there has always been a second love in the Manchester United hero’s life.
Horse racing has always been a passion, particularly the thrills and spills of the jumps game. Despite winning many big races across both the flat and national hunt spheres, he has yet to taste major success at the Cheltenham Festival.
Horses For Cheltenham 2023
Protektorat
Sir Alex has been chasing a win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup since becoming an owner, and you could say that last year he hit the post with Protektorat. Trained by Dan Skelton, Protektorat finished a creditable third behind the impressive A Plus Tard 12 months ago, but for a blunder at the last he may have finished closer.
If you follow the latest horse racing tips, you will know that Protektorat is a well-fancied 9/1 chance to go two better in this year’s Gold Cup. Two-time King George VI Chase winner, Clan Des Obeaux, would have been another possibility for a Gold Cup run, but Paul Nicholls’ charge had an injury setback earlier this season, and won’t be lining up this year.
Hermes Allen
Probably Sir Alex’s best chance of a winner at this year’s Cheltenham Festival comes in the form of the Paul Nicholls’ trained, Hermes Allen. Ferguson’s 6yo has been one of the most impressive novice hurdlers this season and is currently a 5/2 favourite for the Ballymore Novices Hurdles at the festival.
Unbeaten in three racecourse starts, Hermes Allen has been maturing and improving with every start this season. His powerful victory in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury last time couldn’t have been more impressive, and there is plenty for Sir Alex to look forward to with this youngster.
Monmiral
The least likely of Fergie’s runners to score at Cheltenham this year is probably, Monmiral. Saying that, this young chaser’s class should not be doubted, but he is still finding his feet over fences and this year’s festival might just come too soon. Also trained by Paul Nicholls, Monmiral was a top-class juvenile hurdler in his time and, despite struggling last term, he has returned with two fine chasing performances behind very
good horses this season. He holds entries in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase and the Turners Novices’ Chase in March, but his chances may be limited in both.
Will It Be Fergie Time At The Festival
There is a strong chance that Sir Alex’s team could hit the back of the net at Cheltenham this year. Monmiral is likely to be out of his depth at this stage of his chasing career, but Protektorat should give another good account of himself in the Gold Cup once again.
Hermes Allen is likely to be Fergie’s star player. He has been so impressive thus far in his career, and with plenty more improvement to come, he has a great chance of adding another trophy to Sir Alex’s cabinet.
