How many Sir Alex Ferguson horses are running at the Cheltenham Festival 2023?

Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the great names of British football, with his name transcending the game to become a recognisable figure across wider sporting culture.

Horse racing is one of those areas, with the legendary Manchester United manager owning a number of race horses which will be participating in the upcoming Cheltenham Festival. The four day event in Gloucestershire is the biggest meeting of the jump racing calendar and sees 28 races taking place at the iconic racecourse in the heart of the Cotswolds.

The Scotsman could rake in up to £640,000 in prize money should all of his big three big names win their respective races, with Protektorat currently a 14/1 shot to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Friday, 15:30). The French bred horse finished third in last year's race, but faces competition this year from Galopin Des Champs, Bravemansgame and 2022 winner A Plus Tard.

The eight-year-old, who is co-owned with businessman Ged Mason, was a resounding winner of the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, winning a prize of £114,000 before a trickier fourth place finish in the Grade Two Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at the Cheltenham trials in January.

Ferguson's best bet of the week could be Hermes Allen in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Wednesday 13:30), with the 5/2 favourite unbeaten in his last three races. The third name who could be a big winner for the 81-year-old could be Hitman, who is currently rated at 22/1 for the Ryanair Chase (Thursday 2:50pm), which is the feature race of St Patrick's Thursday.

A treble for all three horses to win is currently, 1200/1, long odds but with such an unpredictable event in store it could be an appealing bet for United fans.