Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson did the double again this afternoon – in Cheltenham.
The Scot guided the club to a record 13 Premier League titles, including two ‘doubles’ of the FA Cup and League titles, in 1994 and 1996, and a ‘treble’ of both trophies and the European Champions League in 1999.
Sir Alex watched from the parade along with his former rival Premier League manager Sam Allardyce and Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall as 25-1 shot Monmiral won in ‘Fergie hour’.
The 82-year-old, whose teams became known for producing last-gasp victories during a record run of 13 Premier League title wins, was seen celebrating his first ever Cheltenham victory as the seven-year-old overtook front-runner Kyntara just yards from the final entry in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle.
And in the very next race, Protektorat romped to victory in the Ryanair Chase at odds of 17-2.
Sir Alex watched from the parade along with Sam Allardyce and Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall as his horse Monmiral won the Pertemps Network Final
Actor Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone Dobbs in Coronation Street, was also pictured parading with Fergie after his horse’s win
Part-owners John Hales (left) and Sir Alex Ferguson (centre) celebrate with the trophy after Prokectorat won the Ryanair Steeple Chase
Fergie, who lost his wife of 57 years, Lady Cathy, 84, last autumn, was pictured in the parade as he again punched the air in cheers as his former United captain Bryan Robson beamed behind him.
Fergie co-owns both horses with long-time friends Ged Mason and John Hales and, after finally breaking his Cheltenham Festival duck, said: ‘I’ve been waiting a long time for this but it’s fantastic.
‘It’s been probably 20 years that I’ve wanted a winner here, when I first started I just had flat horses and no National Hunt. I became interested in the jumps with Ged (Mason) and John (Hales).
‘It makes it 100 percent more fun to have a winner with friends. Everyone is looking forward to Cheltenham, while on the Flat you have the Derby. These two events are second to none.’
Speaking about Monmiral’s win, he said of rider Harry Cobden: ‘The jockey was absolutely brilliant on him.
‘What I was thinking about the tapes was ‘what the hell is he doing in the back?’ but he crept forward and judged it perfectly.
‘I couldn’t understand why John (Hales, co-owner) before he got to the end said he had won, but it’s an experience for you. ‘I just said ‘just jump to the end!’
During his 26-year spell in charge of Manchester United until his retirement in 2013, Sir Alex won 38 major trophies. Fergie had previously also won a Scottish league and cup double with Aberdeen in 1984 when he broke the stranglehold on the ‘Old Firm’ of Glasgow’s Rangers and Celtic north of the border.
Sir Alex Ferguson, owner of Monmiral, celebrates with Alan Halsall (background) and Sam Allardyce (left) after watching his horse win the Pertemps Network Final,
Sir Alex Ferguson was jubilant after winning back-to-back races on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival
The former Manchester United manager couldn’t believe his luck after his horse Protectorate also won the Ryanair Steeple Chase
Harry Cobden (left) led Monmiral to victory in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle at odds of 25/1
Harry Skelton then jockeyed Protectorate to win the Ryanair Chase from 17/2
Earlier in the day, Allardyce accidentally photobombed Princess Beatrice as she posed for photographers with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The former Bolton Wanderers and England manager got out of his car and smiled for the cameras himself after he couldn’t spot the royal couple behind him, prompting the princess to burst out laughing.
The Fergie double was given a very nice 246/1 with Ladbrokes. Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: ‘Sir Alex Ferguson is having a dream afternoon at the Cheltenham Festival and while it wasn’t an obvious double, there were clearly a number of hardcore Man United fans who weren’t going to miss the 246/1 double .’
Sir Alex had a third horse running at Cheltenham, in the same race as Protectorate. Hitman finished the Ryanair Steeple Chase in eighth place.
Asked how long he has been waiting for a Cheltenham Festival winner, Sir Alex said: ‘It must be 15 to 20 years.
‘So two in 40 minutes, that’s incredible, isn’t it? It’s a special place’.
Alan Halsall, who was part of Ferguson’s party at the festival, said of Monmiral’s victory: ‘It was fantastic, an incredible ride. It really came out of nowhere. A couple of the lads said he was in a good place but it was unbelievable from Harry (Cobden) just to push him through the middle there. Fantastic.
‘I’m just with these guys on the trip, but we have to celebrate a winner in the owners. It is fantastic. We’re going for champagne now!’
Alex Ferguson celebrates after winning the 14:10 Pertemps Handicap Hurdle with Monmiral
Sir Alex was pictured celebrating with his horse Monmiral after it won the Pertemps Network Final at Cheltenham today
But Sir Alex was denied a famous treble at the festival by his friend and former football rival Harry Redknapp’s horse in the Trustatrader Plate.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth manager’s 8-1 shot Shakem Up’arry, ridden by Ben Jones, took the honors from 7-2 favorite Crebilly.
Paul Binfield of bookmaker Paddy Power said: ‘It’s great to see a football manager’s treble at the horse racing Olympics.
“Sir Alex is well used to trebles and it’s just great to see Harry get in on the action.”
