Knighted for services to football in June 1999, shortly after completing an unprecedented Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League treble with Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson finally retired from the dugout at Old Trafford in May 2013, at the age of 71. As a racehorse owner, Ferguson enjoyed early success, on the Flat, with Queensbury Star, who won his first two starts for Jack Berry in early 1998 and, under National Hunt Rules, with What A Friend, who won seven of his 22 starts for Paul Nicholls, notably including Grade 1 wins in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown and the Totesport Bowl at Aintree in 2009 and 2010.
Ferguson was also the joint-owner of the prolific Rock Of Gibraltar, trained by Aidan O’Brien, alongside Susan Magnier, wife of Irish business magnate and owner of Coolmore Stud, John Magnier. Rock Of Gibraltar won 10 of his 13 races in 2001 and 2002, including seven in a row at Group 1 level, but ownership ended in a high-profile legal battle over breeding rights.
More recently, in happier times, Ferguson achieved further major success as an owner-breeder with Spirit Dancer, whom he bred in partnership with Niall McLaughlin and raced alongside Ged Mason and Peter Done. Trained by Richard Fahey, Spirit Dance won nine of his 30 starts under Rules, notably including back-to-back victories in the Group 2 Bahrain International Trophy in 2023 and 2024.
Ferguson is also no stranger to winners at major National Hunt meetings.In November 2024, he won the Paddy Power Gold Cup with Il Ridoto, trained by Paul Nicholls, the following month he won the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown with L’Eau du Sud, trained by Dan Skelton and, in March 2025, he won the Golden Miller Novices’ Chase with Caldwell Potter, also trained by Nicholls. Caldwell Potter followed up in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree less than a month later