While it was a day to overlook for Manchester United, it was one to cherish for Sir Alex Ferguson, whose racehorse stormed to a different large win.
As the Red Devils have been succumbing to a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Fulham, with Alex Iwobi hitting an added time winner, Spirit Dancer flew residence to take the Howden Neom Turf Cup on the Saudi Cup assembly.
Trained by Richard Fahey and co-owned by Ferguson, Ged Mason and Peter Done, Spirit Dancer had already scooped £500,000 by profitable the Group Two Bahrain International Trophy final yr. Today’s Neom Turf Cup – one other Group Two occasion – had attracted a robust subject that included Aidan O’Brien’s Luxembourg, Andrew Balding’s The Foxes and John and Thady Gosden’s Jack Darcy.
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But it was Spirit Dancer, beneath Oisin Orr, who swept to a powerful and precious victory by a size to take his earnings past the £1.7million mark.
“We are living the dream, 100%,” said a delighted Sir Alex, who celebrated wildly with his co-owners after the race. “His coach Richard [Fahey] stated he would have an opportunity however you may by no means be too assured in a race like this. It was unbelievable.
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“After the triumph in Bahrain and coming to this level and looking at the field – the performance from Oisin and the horse was unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
“Richard has made the point a few times that the horse hasn’t had a lot of racing, he has been trying to step it up and I think you’ve seen the evidence today. Oisin said to me that the horse is improving all the time and the evidence is there. I’m delighted.”
Mason, who owns a number of different horses over each Flat and National Hunt codes, added: “It still feels like a dream, I have to pinch myself.
“That was a class act of entries there, that performance was extra special. If he doesn’t mind me saying, Alex had a dream this morning and he dreamed that we won!”