MEET the self-proclaimed ‘peasant from up north’ who’s making Sir Alex Ferguson millions from horses.
You’d think Richard Fahey’s opinion of himself would be as big as the skyscrapers dotting the Dubai skyline after giving the Manchester United legend an unforgettable season on the track.
GettyThe Yorkshire trainer has rubbed shoulders with royalty in the winners’ enclosure at Royal Ascot[/caption]
Fahey, centre, gets a big bear hug from Mason, left, as Sir Alex watches on
But it’s in the Gulf state this Saturday afternoon that he will quietly look to land Sir Alex his biggest cheque yet from racing with victory in the Sheema Classic.
Fahey, 58, who is based in Malton, North Yorkshire, will saddle globe-trotting superstar Spirit Dancer in one of the world’s richest races.
The awesome seven-year-old sparked huge celebrations with a £500,000 win in Bahrain last November.
Sir Alex cracked a rib when being bear-hugged by co-owner and good friend Ged Mason.
They could scarcely believe their eyes three months later when the same horse bagged them just under £1million with victory in Saudi Arabia.
With earnings of £1.7m in all, he’s blown away Sir Alex’s previous best horse, the infamous Rock Of Gibraltar, who made £1.2m.
It was that Flat runner who sparked an internal war at Old Trafford and ultimately led to the Glazers taking charge.
By contrast, the only worry with Spirit Dancer is what to spend all the cash on.
Sir Alex splashed £633,000 of it buying Caldwell Potter at a jumps horse auction earlier this year – the highest price ever paid for a National Hunt horse.
But even that sum will pale into comparison against the £2.7m he stands to win with victory in the Dubai Sheema Classic on the weekend.
Add it to the £275,000 Sir Alex won with two winners at this month’s Cheltenham Festival and it’s clear to see why the Scot is loving racing these days.
Speaking of Spirit Dancer, Fahey, who has over 3,000 career winners after starting out with a ‘modest’ string of horses in 1993, told the Mail: “We have had a good winter and it has been exciting.
“We couldn’t really have expected it. On the day the Bahrain race looked hot and he put it to bed quite easily.
“Then he had to come home because of quarantine rules but I sent him back because I wanted to acclimatise him for Saudi.
“He was beaten by a better horse in Dubai last time out, but it meant I could leave him there for the Saudi race.
“Now he has now gone back to Dubai, which he couldn’t have done last year because they have since changed the rules.
“The Middle East is becoming very on it and giving us poor little peasants from the north the chance to run for some decent money which is massive, especially for a seven-year-old gelding.”
Up against former Derby hero Auguste Rodin and awesome Japanese horse Liberty Island, it’s easy to see why Spirit Dancer is 20-1 for the 1m4f turf contest.
But he overturned the odds in Bahrain and was 8-1 when winning last time out.
As they say, the horses don’t know their odds.
And Spirit Dancer may just be the horse in the race on the biggest progressive curve.
Being by Frankel, arguably the greatest horse of all time, it’s hoped his genes will eek out more improvement over the longer trip.
Fahey added: “When I saw the entries the other day I had a bit of a shock but if you are not entered you can’t beat them.
“It’s a good race. I am looking forward to seeing him run because he has a had a great preparation.”
It was only last month that Fahey was waxing lyrical about Sir Alex, saying ‘he amazes me’.
Now that favour could be returned if the trainer can pull off another miracle in the desert.
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