3 minute read

Attention returns to the flat for owner Sir Alex Ferguson as his home-bred Spirit Dancer will hope to add another overseas success in Saturday’s Dubai Sheema Classic.

Alex Ferguson enjoyed an unforgettable Cheltenham Festival with Monmiral and Protektorat completing a memorable double in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase.

It has been a successful couple of months for the Richard Fahey -trained Spirit Dancer, picking up the lucrative Bahrain Trophy prize in November before winning the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia, worth nearly £1 million pounds.

"Everything's going great. Looking at the videos and speaking to the lad out there, I believe he's come on in his coat and his demeanour, he's in very good form," said Fahey.

"He did have five weeks to acclimatise from his first run this season to the Neom Turf Cup and it's nearly another five weeks again.

"We're very lucky to be able to have him there because it's more or less the same climate in the Middle East and he's had time to settle into a good routine – he's loving his time there. It's an easier preparation to do it there than from here.

"It was always in the back of my mind to go to a mile and a half. You'd have every confidence that he should stay. He relaxes and in all his races he's always finished well.

"We are in at Group One level, so it will be a huge ask, but we've had a nice pr in ep and it's always nice coming there off the back of a win. I'm really looking forward to seeing him run."