Sir Alex Ferguson’s Cheltenham Festival star ruled out for the season in ‘big blow’ to team

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Sir Alex Ferguson’s star jumper has been ruled out for the season without coming under orders in a ‘big blow’ to his team. The legendary former Manchester United manager has developed a high quality squad of racehorses since he retired from the Premier League .

With pals Ged Mason, Peter Done and the late John Hales he enjoyed his first Cheltenham Festival successes with two wins in 2024. Hales, who died in January aged 85, had been the driving force in the recruitment of Caldwell Potter, a Grade 1-winner from Ireland who was put up for sale in February. The grey was secured for £620,000, a record for a jumps horse at public auction but after two defeats he was being written off as a ‘transfer flop.

However under trainer Paul Nicholls he went on to prove the critics wrong by making all the running to win the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and then win the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at the Grand National Festival at Aintree.

There were huge expectations for the seven-year-old ahead of the new campaign until Nicholls broke the news on Friday that Caldwell Potter was injured.

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In a post on X, he said: “It's with great disappointment I am informing everyone that after Caldwell Potter’s gallop at Newbury on Monday he sustained a small injury which after consultation with vets and his owners will mean he will miss the rest of this season .