SIR Alex Ferguson has had a disastrous start to the jumping season after Paul Nicholls confirmed his Cheltenham Festival winning horse will be retired from racing this year, leaving spectators disappointed.
In the electrifying world of National Hunt racing, few names evoke as much passion and legacy as Sir Alex Ferguson. The Manchester United legend, whose football career was defined by dramatic comebacks and unyielding determination, has found a second arena for his competitive spirit: the jumps circuit. Yet, as the 2025-26 jumping season kicks off with its crisp autumnal promise, Ferguson faces an early setback that feels all too reminiscent of a late-season title race slip. Paul Nicholls, the 14-time champion trainer and Ferguson’s trusted collaborator, has confirmed the retirement of Stage Star, a horse that not only carried the colors of a syndicate including the football icon but also delivered one of Cheltenham’s most cherished victories. The news, announced just days into the new campaign, has cast a shadow over what was hoped to be a triumphant return to the tracks, leaving fans and punters alike grappling with a sense of untimely loss.
Stage Star’s story was one of meteoric rise and raw, unbridled talent. Acquired as part of a low-cost ownership syndicate through the innovative Owners Group, the gelding burst onto the scene with a flair that mirrored Ferguson’s own tactical brilliance. Under Nicholls’ expert guidance at the Ditcheat stables in Somerset, Stage Star amassed nine wins from 21 starts, showcasing a blend of stamina and speed that made him a standout in a field dominated by equine aristocrats. His crowning glory came at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, where he stormed to victory in the Turners Novices’ Chase, a Grade 1 spectacle that left the Prestbury Park crowd roaring in approval. Jockey Harry Cobden, Nicholls’ go-to rider, navigated the grey with surgical precision, fending off challengers in a display of jumping prowess that earned comparisons to the greats of yesteryear.
But Stage Star’s magic didn’t end there. Returning to Cheltenham later that same year, he defied the odds in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, surviving a heart-stopping blunder at the final fence to clinch another prestigious prize. For Ferguson, who shares ownership with a diverse group of everyday racing enthusiasts, these triumphs were more than mere victories—they were validations of his post-football life. “What a horse he’s been,” Nicholls posted on X, his words laced with the quiet admiration of a trainer who has shaped legends like Kauto Star and Denman. The horse’s dual Grade 1 successes at Cheltenham weren’t just about the silverware; they democratized the sport, allowing fans from all walks—much like the syndicate’s model—to taste glory without the stratospheric costs of elite ownership.
The retirement announcement came like a thunderclap on a clear day. Just weeks before the season’s formal curtain-raiser at Chepstow and Wetherby, Nicholls revealed that a nagging injury had forced the collective hand of the owners. “He has a small injury which will be totally fine in time,” the trainer explained, emphasizing that the decision was pragmatic rather than desperate. At nearly 10 years old, Stage Star’s frame had carried the scars of battle too long; pushing him further risked not just his well-being but the magic of his legacy. “Because of his age, if he came back in a year’s time he’d be 11 almost, so then where do you go with him?” Nicholls reflected in a subsequent interview. The Owners Group echoed the sentiment, with syndicate members pouring out heartfelt tributes. One owner, reflecting on the shared highs, wrote, “Never did I think I would be part of a Cheltenham Festival Group 1 winner, not once but twice… Memories with us forever and won’t be replaced.” Another added, “He took us to all the big meetings and big races. Thank you to all at Paul’s and Owner’s Group who looked after him.”
For Ferguson, the blow lands particularly hard. The Scot, now 83 and long removed from the touchline touchline drama at Old Trafford, has poured his post-managerial energy into racing with the fervor of a man half his age. His stable, largely under Nicholls’ wing, has been a source of unadulterated joy amid Manchester United’s turbulent campaigns. Last season alone, Ferguson’s runners banked over £6.8 million in prize money, a staggering return that underscores his eye for talent. Hits like Protektorat, who dazzled with a stunning win in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Windsor in January 2025, and the record-breaking Caldwell Potter—Ferguson’s £633,000 Cheltenham conqueror in the Jack de la Detour Novices’ Chase—have kept the dream alive. “I think the jumping won it,” Ferguson quipped after Caldwell Potter’s triumph, his trademark Glasgow growl softened by genuine elation. These successes, including a brace at the 2024 Festival, have made him a fixture in the enclosures, his trademark Gleneagles tweeds blending seamlessly with the racing elite.
Yet, the jumping season’s opening salvos have been anything but kind. With Stage Star sidelined before he could even graze the turf, Ferguson’s hopes for an immediate bounce-back rest on a reshuffled deck. Protektorat remains a cornerstone, his youthful enthusiasm belying his 10 years as he eyes the King George VI Chase with Nicholls’ trademark optimism. Hitman, another Ferguson charge, enters the Grand National fray as a 150/1 outsider, his three wins and ten places this season hinting at untapped potential. And then there’s the promise of emerging stars like Kalif du Berlais and Bravemansgame, horses Nicholls has earmarked for the 2025-26 chases in his seasonal preview. “An amazing horse, he’s been fantastic,” the trainer said of Stage Star, but his forward gaze is unwavering: Ditcheat’s hill gallops are already humming with the next wave.
The disappointment ripples beyond the principals. Spectators, drawn to Cheltenham’s feverish atmosphere by tales of Ferguson’s involvement, now mourn the absence of a horse who embodied the Festival’s spirit—grit, glory, and a touch of the underdog. Social media buzzed with lamentations, from punters who’d backed him at long odds to casual fans inspired by the football-racing crossover. “Stage Star was the people’s horse,” one X user posted, capturing the void left by his exit. In a sport where retirements are as inevitable as the changing seasons, this one feels premature, a reminder that even the sturdiest champions have their limits.
As November’s chill deepens and the jumps calendar fills—Kempton, Ascot, the Tingle Creek—Ferguson will no doubt summon the Fergie Time resilience that defined his United dynasty. Nicholls, ever the strategist, has a yard brimming with firepower, his 50 Cheltenham wins a testament to adaptability. For now, though, the stable doors close on Stage Star with a bittersweet finality. His paddock retirement promises lazy afternoons and well-earned carrots, but for those who cheered him home, the tracks will echo a little quieter. In racing, as in football, legends don’t fade—they inspire the chases yet to come. Ferguson knows this better than most; after all, it’s not the falls that define a season, but the fights that follow.
