I’m backing legendary footy boss Sir Alex Ferguson to have another huge winner at Cheltenham

AS a Tottenham instrumentality I grew sick of large Saturday occurrence for Sir Alex Ferguson - but I'm rooting for the aged devil today!

As a racehorse owner, the erstwhile Manchester United supremo won back-to-back races astatine the Cheltenham Festival successful March, acknowledgment to Monmiral's occurrence successful the Pertemps Network Final and Protektorat's triumph - a large 1 for this file - successful the Grade 1 Ryanair.

Well, PROTEKTORAT (2.20) is backmost for Fergie successful today's diagnostic Paddy Power Gold Cup, a contention unrecorded connected ITV successful which the proprietor besides challenges with Il Ridoto. And if that was not enough, 35 minutes earlier Sir Alex has the talented L'Eau Du Sud successful the Grade 2 Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial.

I've enjoyed immoderate terrific banter with Sir Alex implicit the years connected telly but, if helium is astatine Cheltenham today, I won't beryllium capable to tease him arsenic I'm astatine Uttoxeter.

One eye, though, volition precise overmuch beryllium connected Cheltenham and portion the Paddy Power mightiness not beryllium the deepest renewal of each clip it's surely a puzzle.

Ginny's Destiny, charged down by Grey Dawning successful the Turners and by Il Etait Temps successful the Manifesto, mightiness beryllium excessively bully for the tract disconnected 155.

Ga Law, who won this successful 2022, is backmost connected a bully people again and good fancied, portion Imagine is an costly bargain for the Harry Derham yard.

Il Ridoto knows this way and contention backwards, and Fugitif has the quality but not ever the desire.

I'm blessed to accidental Protektorat erstwhile again. If he's acceptable aft a 218 time lack helium should leap for amusive and question good which is conscionable what you request to onshore this prize.

Obviously it's not going to beryllium casual nether 12st and but, portion helium mightiness similar softer crushed is not an issue. Indeed helium was 2nd successful this connected that aboveground successful 2021 erstwhile rated 154.

His task is shown with a people present of 167 but, connected his day, he's decent. I'll person a fewer quid connected each-way.

Happily, considering the existent 'good' description, tract sizes person held up beauteous good astatine Cheltenham today.

That is contempt immoderate trainers saying thing faster than bully to brushed is simply a 'welfare' issue. Wow.

It makes you wonderment the logic down their words. As a racing fan, who americium I to reason against them? Yet, it is simply a unsafe assertion and galore racing tv presenters and people journalists are blessed conscionable to repetition without backing it up with immoderate facts. Trainer speaks, casual copy.

The crushed astatine Exeter precocious was good. The times were slow. Yet horses were pulled retired left, close and centre and 'welfare' was fixed arsenic the crushed for what ended up a hopeless card.

The main contented present is if you accidental 'welfare' immoderate trainer who runs their equine connected crushed quicker than connected the casual broadside is presumably 1 who doesn't attraction astir their horses.

If your equine can't run connected thing different than brushed past conscionable accidental that - but that's not the aforesaid arsenic a 'welfare" issue.

It got maine reasoning astir however brushed we - oregon the horses - person become. It wasn't ever this way, folks. Many of the aureate oldies were blessed connected speedy crushed and ran often connected it.

Off the apical of my caput I'm reasoning Mr Frisk, Desert Orchid, Viking Flagship, Deep Sensation. The connection 'welfare' didn't adjacent beryllium backmost past - but they each survived and, indeed, thrived connected accelerated ground.

Take Mr Frisk, the fastest Grand National victor of each time. Kim Bailey's prima won the Aintree showpiece successful 1999 nether fantabulous amateur Marcus Armytage. The contention was tally connected steadfast crushed and 20 horses happily finished.

After the National helium banged successful the Whitbread connected bully to firm. Now immoderate of you volition accidental that's an utmost example. Always an exception, my boy.

But, conscionable successful lawsuit you deliberation Mr Frisk was alone, let's excavation deeper. David Elsworth's Desert Orchid is not an utmost example.

He won the Gold Cup successful horrible mud and was 1 of the astir fashionable horses of each time. 'Dessie' won galore races connected steadfast - and it was bully to steadfast erstwhile helium landed the 1988 Whitbread and King George.

Have we conscionable created a weakened breed? Quite possibly. Did trainers backmost successful the time person hardened horses utilized to galloping up accelerated turf gallops alternatively than artificial ones? Quite possibly.

Fast crushed a payment issue? History says not. Besides, watching jumpers successful a decorativeness connected bully crushed is an betterment connected a brutal slow-motion worldly we spot astatine the extremity of a three-mile slog successful the mud.

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