Sir Alex Ferguson gunning to become first back-to-back winner of $1 million race in Bahrain with homebred Spirit Dancer

SIR ALEX FERGUSON is gunning to win the $1 million race in Bahrain for a second year running with homebred Spirit Dancer on Friday.

The Ricard Fahey-trained seven-year-old was a shock winner of the Bahrain International Trophy last year when beating the likes of Charlie Appleby, Aidan O’Brien and the Gosdens.

Ferguson, who was over the moon after the monumental victory, described the victory as “the best ever in racing.”

It’s a huge claim, given the same red and white colours partnered the infamous Rock Of Gibraltar twenty years ago.

Before his stud fees became the object of a hefty law suit between Coolmore’s John Magnier and Ferguson, he was the first horse in the northern hemisphere win seven Group 1s on the trot.

More recently, the Manchester United legend has owned top chasers Protektorat, What A Friend and two-time King George VI winner Clan Des Obeaux.

But the difference is Ferguson, alongside Niall McLoughlin, bred Spirit Dancer in 2016. The emotional investment is even higher than usual.

But, despite being by the mighty Frankel, Spirit Dancer did not get off to a flying start and won only two of his first 14 races.

Eventually he succeeded in Group 3 company, but he still needed a best-yet in last year’s Bahrain Group 2.

He pulled it off in fine style, and went on to prove it wasn’t a fluke three months later when giving his owners another good day out at the Neom Turf Cup at Riyadh, adding another £944,000 to his purse.

Following the huge successes of his homebred, Ferguson said: “It was a new adventure for me to get into breeding to be honest.

“I bought a mare from Andreas Wohler in Germany, she’s at Hemel Hempstead, it’s a good family.

“The first foal was a Frankel and that’s why we’re down here today. We’ve had other horses who have done well but the Frankel has been fantastic.”

The North-Yorkshire-based trainer Fahey has his work cut out again this year round.

All the best from England, Japan and France have turned up to try for a slice of the pie.

The Gosdens’ Group 3 Darley Stakes winner Lead Artist, is the youngest horse in the race at three.

The unstoppable Frenchman, Francis Henri-Graffard, has placed Andromede in the race.

And last year’s third, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Point Lonsdale is also set for the contest , as is Charlie Appleby’s Nations Pride.

The latter has won Group 1 races in Germany, America and Canada, while also winning at the lower levels in Dubai and England. He ran in this last year, coming seventh, but he’s had a long break in the run-up this time.

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