Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has revealed that Irish trainer Gordon Elliott sent him a "desperate" letter in an attempt to prevent the sale of the horse Caldwell Potter.
History was made last February when Caldwell Potter achieved a world record selling price of €740,000 (£632,000), the highest amount ever paid for a National Hunt horse at a public auction.
The six-year-old grey won the Grade One Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle for his former trainer, Gordon Elliott, at Leopardstown last season before being sold.
The sale came as Caldwell Construction Group decided to offload their entire string of horses, all of which had been in training under Ireland's renowned trainer, Elliott.
Ferguson, a well-known horse racing enthusiast, was the successful bidder. He admitted to At the Races this week that the horse's price initially gave him concern, but he eventually decided to take the plunge, agreeing to the staggering final price.
“Caldwell Potter is the one that really took my breath away," said Ferguson to At the Races
Sir Alex Ferguson's team"Caldwell Potter is the one that really took my breath away!"
Manchester United legend, Sir Alex Ferguson believes he has a great team for this season...
Posted by At The Races on Saturday, December 7, 2024
“He was up for sale in Ireland, and John (Hales) said we might have to go to 600,000, and at that point, I fainted! He then phoned me and said it has gone to 700,000. He said, ‘Do you want to stay in?’ and I said, ‘Well, you have taken us this far.’ He then went for 740,000."
The Scot also revealed that Gordon Elliott had even made attempts via a letter to keep the horse.
However, Ferguson admits he is delighted to have secured the horse and hopes that the price tag will be justified by the horse's talent in the coming weeks and years.
“Gordon Elliott was very kind and wrote a nice letter as he was desperate to keep him and had tried hard, going around all the sources he has to try and keep the horse," added Ferguson.
“Fortunately, we got him, and he won his first race for us. He looked classy at Carlisle and really took to his fences. I’m hopeful, and he has really got me dreaming—at that price, he better!”
See More: Caldwell Potter, Horse Racing
