On April 15, 1999, Alex Ferguson enjoyed lunch at Newmarket Racecourse. It was a brief respite from an increasingly hectic schedule for the Manchester United manager as his side chased down an unprecedented treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies. Taking advantage of a narrow gap in his packed diary, he’d taken a 6.50am flight from Manchester to Stansted before travelling by car to the gallops of trainer Ed Dunlop, then on to the stables of Henry Cecil and Sir Michael Stoute. Later that afternoon, he’d watch Frankie Dettori ride two winners.
Ferguson had bought his first racehorse the previous year – named Queensland Star after a vessel his father had worked on in the Govan shipyards. The world of racing was his latest fascination. An escape from the demands of the day job had never been so welcome as it was on this day. A Champions League semi-final second leg away to Juventus loomed less than a week away, and the previous evening Ferguson had overseen one of the most dramatic
