CHELTENHAM BREAKFAST: The fire still burns inside Sir Alex Ferguson, all eyes remain on Constitution Hill… and why the iconic horse’s fall was a double bonus for the bookies

Cheltenham Breakfast delves into the big issues of the Festival and there is plenty to dissect on the first day of the meeting this year.

Today, DOMINIC KING reflects on Sir Alex Ferguson’s return to Cheltenham and Constitution Hill’s shock fall on the opening day.

Sir Alex still living every moment

If you think the competitive edge ever feels someone who has spent their life in sport, think again. A glance at Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson, aged 83, was a lesson in how the fire never goes out.

Ferguson’s colours were carried by L’Eau du Sud in the Arkle Chase and while the grey ran with credit, he ran out of puff in the final push to the line and his trainer Dan Skelton took the defeat with good grace, holding out his hands and puffing out his cheeks. They couldn’t have done more.

But there was a moment when L’Eau du Sud moved menacingly around the home turn and Harry Skelton – who is sporting a dreadful black eye, sustained after taking a bang in the face from a pony at home – appeared to be ready to unleash a withering challenge.

And Ferguson watched it all in the same style as he watched all those rapier Manchester United attacks in years gone by – little shuffle forward, another step, a little jolt of the arms and the expectation that a big moment was about to arrive.

There will be another day when Ferguson gets to properly celebrate and who is to say it won’t be tomorrow? Jango Baie, the horse who came from the clouds to land the Arkle, immediately made you think back to a race at Cheltenham last December.

Jango Baie beat Ferguson’s Caldwell Potter by clear daylight and that form is worth keeping in mind, as the grey – who cost £634,000 when Ferguson and his pals bought him in February 2024 – has been declared to run in the Jack Richards Novices Chase over two-and-a-half miles.

Will he be good enough? It’s impossible to say. But what can be stated with confidence is Paul Nicholls, the gelding’s trainer, has had this contest in mind since he ran at Windsor in January and when he a target in mind, he often goes close. Watch it with interest.

Constitution Hill is still the talk of the town

One fascinating aspect before the Champion Hurdle was the sheer number of people who wanted to get a close-up look at Constitution Hill. All vantage points were taken by the pre-parade ring long before he came in and there was a reverential hush as he walked around.

Even those who have been around horses all their lives were keen to get a bird’s eye view, not least Donald McCain, who grew up with none other than Red Rum in his yard at home. McCain, an outstanding trainer in his own right, stood for 10 minutes, arms folded taking it all in.

Yes, the story ended in crushing disappointment but one fall will not define this horse’s career – all being well, he’ll run at Punchestown next month – and the scale of the interest in him could be judged by the scene outside his saddling box: there were five camera crews recording every move.

Double bonus for bookies

You may have noted the bet of £20,000, reported in the dramatic Mail Sport report on the Champion Hurdle, that went up in smoke when Constitution Hill crashed out but how about this for a double bonus for bookmaker Geoffrey Hughes.

With the betting ring stunned and nobody walking close to the boards, Hughes looked at his book and declared: “no winning tickets!” Not a single person had been interested in having even a nibble of the 25/1 about Golden Ace. Willie Mullins was right about bookies driving big cars.

Williams’ crossroads moment revealed

Some England rugby players are expected on course for day two and rugby was a theme that decorated day one, thanks to winning jockeys Lorcan Williams and Ben Jones.

Williams, who remains the only professional rider to have scooped the amateur St James’s Place Foxhunters, will feel the glow of Golden Ace’s Champion Hurdle triumph for many months, was on the cusp of playing for Scarlets in Wales. As a teenager, he had to pick between rugby and racing.

At the time of making that decision, he was playing regularly against Ben Jones, who annexed the last race of an absorbing day when booting Haiti Couleurs clear in the National Hunt Chase. Jones was a fly-half for Carmarthen Quins.

‘I picked the sport I loved,’ said Williams. ‘I feel lucky to be part of this and I’m shellshocked.’

BREAKFAST BEST BET

This column has been looking forward to the 120pm race since February 1; to be at Leopardstown that afternoon was to see the emergence of a potential superstar and FINAL DEMAND absolutely fitted the bill. 

Paul Townend’s reaction immediately after he’d won the Grade One Nathaniel Lacy Hurdle was simply: “this is a very, very good horse” and that for a man who thinks about everything he says was interesting. 

Owner Brian Drew has taken exception at some suggestions his horse is inferior to marker rival The New Lion but he isn’t. He’ll show that here.