ALAN Shearer has opened up about the thrill that comes with owning a 50/1 winner at Cheltenham.
The Premier League legend recalled his fond memory before Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday.
Alan Shearer once had a winner at Cheltenham Trials
The Premier League legend also had stakes in other horse in 2017
Shearer enjoyed success at Prestbury Park more than 20 years ago when the Howard Johnson-trained Akilak landed odds of 50/1.
His horse won the Grade Two hurdle on Trials day in the hands of Irish jockey Graham Lee.
Ahead of Cheltenham this week, Shearer told Betfair: “I once had a winner at Cheltenham, not at the Festival, but Trials Day, which was a 50/1 shot.
“Unfortunately, I was actually playing that day at St James’ Park.
“We had a horse called Akilak and the other owners, my mates, had gone down to watch the race and half of my other mates were in my box during the game.
“Before the game, because I knew the race was going to happen during the first-half, I said: ‘When I look up when walking off at half-time, I need you to give me a clue as to whether it’s won or not’.
“I was walking off at half-time, looking at all of my pals in the box and they were all going absolutely berserk, with their arms up in the air.
“I thought: ‘These idiots are daft, they’re winding me up’.
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“But I got into the dressing room, the manager did his team talk, and then I snuck my phone into the toilet to see if I could check on the result.
“We won the match as well so it was one of the better days. We went out to celebrate both wins afterwards – it was a great day.”
Shearer was playing for Newcastle at the time his horse won
Shearer has had a stake at the Festival previously through part-ownership of Augusta Kate, who was trained by Willie Mullins.
She ran in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the 2017 Festival and then the Stayers’ Hurdle the following year, finishing sixth and ninth, with both races won by her stablemate Penhill.
The Match of the Day pundit is looking forward to watching a horse named in his honour at the Cheltenham this week.
The equine Shearer will ironically take his place in the St. James’ Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase on Friday.
The horse is trained by 14-time champion trainer Paul Nicholls and will be ridden by his daughter, Olive.
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