Sir Alex Ferguson smashes world record to buy unbeaten Paul Nicholls horse

The ex-Manchester United manager, who paid £633,000 with his partners for Caldwell Potter in February, will be among the new owners of the unbeaten Regent’s Stroll, now the most expensive jumps' horse

By: irishmirror.ie

Jul 22 2024
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Sir Alex Ferguson smashes worl

Sir Alex Ferguson, who broke transfer records during his legendary managerial career, has shattered his own record to add another recruit to his squad of racehorses.

In February he became one of the new owners of Grade 1-winning jumper Caldwell Potter, who fetched £630,000 at Tattersalls in Ireland, which was then the highest amount paid for a jumper at auction.

And on Monday Ferguson raised the bar even higher when he was revealed as one of the new owners of the exciting Regent’s Stroll, unbeaten in two bumpers for trainer Paul Nicholls, who has cost a cool £660,000.

Regent’s Stroll was among eight horses who will return to Nicholls’s Ditcheat stables after the 14-time champion jumps trainer splashed well in excess of £1million at the horse sales to keep hold of some of his best talent.

He had faced losing some of his brightest stars, including Cheltenham Festival winner Stay Away Fay, after long-time owner Chris Giles announced he was taking a break from racing. It was revealed at the time that “with a young family and increased work commitments both here and abroad, he has less time to devote to racing and his horses”.

Giles’s pink and purple silks have been synonymous with Nicholls former stars Zarkandar, two-time King George VI Chase winner Silviniaco Conti and Greaneteen as well as Stay Away Fay.

Stay Away Fay, who has won four races including the 2023 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, was the headline lot of the Goffs Summer Sale in Doncaster where 11 Giles horses were to go under the hammer.

Stay Away Fay fetched £325,000 and Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Rubaud £200,000 who, like Regent’s Stroll, were knocked down to bloodstock agent Tom Malone on Nicholls’s behalf.

Paul Nicholls (right) with John Hales (left) and Tom Malone: broke a world record (Image: @GoffsUK)

“We got all the ones we wanted back, so we’re delighted,” said Nicholls. “I’ve had some fantastic support from all my owners to get them back. I put people together to buy them and some of the co-owners bought them back. It’s worked out really well.

“Stay Away Fay is going to be owned by Andy Bell and Fergus Lyons. In Regents Stroll there is a combination of John Hales, Ged Mason, Sir Alex Ferguson and Neil and Alfie Smith who are ;part of a team we have put together. They bought Caldwell Potter in the spring and they are both nice horses.”

Nicholls, who also trains the ex-Gordon Elliott Caldwell Potter, continued: “I bought Regent’s Stroll as a store two years ago at Doncaster. He won his two bumpers at Ascot and Newbury. We didn’t want to be losing him, did we?

“It would have been disappointing to have lost them but we’ve have worked hard to get the right support from owners across the board and been able to keep them together.”