SIR Alex Ferguson has opened up on the record-breaking £633,000 signing that ‘took my breath away’.
The Manchester United legend said he ‘nearly fainted’ parting with the cash – but already it has started paying dividends.
United fans will be unsurprised to learn the six-figure sum was not splashed on a footballer – but an athlete of a different kind.
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Sir Alex has taken his love of racing to new levels since retiring more than ten years ago.
Along with pals Ged Mason, Peter Done and John Hales (who made his fortune with the Teletubbies) he has enjoyed stratospheric success over the jumps and on the Flat.
Just last weekend his big Cheltenham Festival Arkle hope L’Eau Du Sud won his owners £57,000 with victory in a Grade 1 novice chase at Sandown.
That came hours before Sir Alex’s horse Spirit Dancer – who has made his owners almost £2million – ran in the Hong Kong Cup.
It wasn’t to be for him there, with the £2.25m first-place prize going to Romantic Warrior, but there’s no doubt the Richard Fahey-trained runner has turned into a walking cash machine.
And the same could happen to the hugely exciting Caldwell Potter.
Sir Alex and chums went to then-record lengths to buy the horse at a dispersal sale last February.
Already a Grade 1 novice hurdler for former trainer and owners Gordon Elliott and Caldwell Construction, he was sent to Paul Nicholls after the sale.
The master trainer unleashed the six-year-old at Carlisle earlier this month and he won by five lengths on his chasing debut.
With the win worth a shade over £8,000, it hardly made a dent in the horse’s purchase price.
But much, much bigger things are expected – even if Sir Alex is still coming to terms with having to part with so much cash.
Speaking to At The Races about the horse, Sir Alex said: “This year we have some really good horses.
“Caldwell Potter is the one who really took my breath away.
“He was up for sale in Ireland and John said ‘we may have to go to 600,000 euros’ and at that point I fainted.
“Then he says ‘it’s gone to 700,000’ and he asked if I wanted to stay in. I said, ‘John, you’ve taken us this bloody far, carry on!”
“Gordon Elliott was very kind and he wrote me a nice letter after, he was desperate to keep the horse.
“He tried hard, going round all the sources he had, but fortunately we got it.
“And he won his first race last week. I’m hopeful.”
Asked if he is the one who really has Sir Alex dreaming of big things, he replied, without missing a beat: “At that price, he better be!”
Incredibly, Sir Alex and friends would later smash their own record buy with the £660,000 deal for the unbeaten Regent’s Stroll.
He, along with Caldwell Potter, L’Eau Du Sud, Protektorat and Il Ridoto, among others, head up the footie legends awesome squad for this jumps season.
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