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Sir Alex Ferguson adds another trophy to collection eight years after Man Utd retirement

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Sir Alex Ferguson, co-owner of Clan Des Obeaux, collecting the trophy after winning the 2021 Betway Bowl Chase at Aintree

Sir Alex Ferguson added another trophy to his collection from the Manchester United glory days.

The fans’ hero, famed for years of success with the Premier League side, celebrated winning a gong away from football.

Bolstering the 38 trophies he scooped during his record-breaking Old Trafford reign, Fergie was successful at The McCoys on Thursday evening.

Held at the home of National Hunt racing, Cheltenham, the black-tie event saw the United legend celebrate victory in one of the categories.

With Ged Mason, John and Lisa Hales, Ferguson won ‘leading owner’, for individuals or partnerships with three horses or fewer.

Sponsored by Ellenborough Park, the plush hotel near the racecourse, the award recognised their extraordinary 62-1 treble on the first day of the Randox Grand National Festival.

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Horses Protektorat, Monmiral and Clan Des Obeaux scored at Grade 1 level – the highest level of the sport – in the opening races.

Ferguson and his team were presented with a small statue of Sir AP McCoy, who like him was a record-breaking force in his sport.

McCoy was champion jockey on 20 occasions, while Ferguson took 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles during 26 years with United.

Ferguson was thrilled with the April hat-trick and said: “That’s the best day I’ve had in my time in racing, which is about 20 years or so.

“It is different to when I was managing my football teams – I was in control of what was going to happen on the pitch, but I’m not in control of that (on the racetrack) as the trainer does all of that and as an owner you hope it goes well.”

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Before this year, Ferguson last had a Merseyside treble in 2007, when Manchester United defeated Everton twice at Goodison Park and Liverpool at Anfield.

The main Aintree race, the Randox Grand National, also featured at The McCoys.

Rachael Blackmore, the first female rider to win it, took the ‘ride of the season’ award for her amazing achievement aboard Minella Times.

“It still feels strange watching Aintree back now, but it’s just incredible,” she said.

One of Blackmore’s six winners at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, which saw her become top jockey there, was Unibet Champion Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle.

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The Henry de Bromhead-trained mare was named ‘horse of the season.’

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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