SIR Alex Ferguson has found himself at the centre of a massive racing row – after his big £630,000 horse was branded a ‘heap of s**t’.
The former Manchester United manager was part of an ownership group that splashed the then-world-record sum on Caldwell Potter at a sale last year.
The TimesLegendary Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson was among a group of pals who spent £630,000 on Caldwell Potter – a superstar racehorse who, so far, is failing to live up to the hype[/caption]
GettyThe horse’s trainer Paul Nicholls hit out after the animal was branded a ‘heap of s**t’ – at the same time he can under fire from another trainer[/caption]
A Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler when trained by Gordon Elliott in Ireland, he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype since moving to trainer Paul Nicholls and going over fences.
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And his critics were out in force after he finished a four-length second when sent off 4-6 fav for a Grade 2 Novice Chase at Windsor on Friday.
Some punters branded the seven-year-old gelding – who Sir Alex said ‘took my breath away’ at the time – a ‘waste of money’.
But trainer Nicholls hit out afterwards – at the same time he was slated by fellow handler Hughie Morrison.
Morrison was speaking after his gambled-on Secret Squirrel got the better of Nicholls’ Kabral Du Mathan in a handicap hurdle at Windsor, the pair finishing 1-2 respectively.
Referencing Nicholls’ recent holiday in the Caribbean – where he tipped up a 33-1 Grand National chance – Morrison said: “Most jumps trainers seem to head off to Barbados [in January].
“Us Flat trainers don’t have time for that…”
Nicholls then spoke about Caldwell Potter and the slating the horse has received for – so far – failing to live up to the price tag.
The legendary trainer said: “Harry [Cobden] got off and said he’s a very nice horse but not a champion and I’d echo that.
“There’s no excuses, he came there to win two-out and he didn’t.
“You’re not expecting to win a Champion Chase with him at the moment.
“Immediately on Twitter people say ‘What a heap of s***’, but people have no idea. He’s a very nice horse.
“He’s not easy to train, we had issues in the spring which is why I couldn’t run him and I still have issues with him all the time with his feet, so that’s not easy.
“You wouldn’t want to run him on quick ground.”
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