'That was fantastic' - Sir Alex Ferguson enjoys first Cheltenham Festival winner with 25-1 Monmiral in Pertemps Final

If a 13-time Premier League winner teams up with a 14-time champion trainer, what chance do the others have?

Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson knows better than anyone that no serial achiever should be written off after a few defeats.

Nor was Paul Nicholls too perturbed that none of his four runners on the opening two days of the Cheltenham Festival was able to get a result, with big fancy Stay Away Fay pulled up in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

He hinted that normal service was about to resume when Ginny's Destiny went close in the opening Turners Novices' Chase on Thursday.

And Nicholls got off the mark for the week when Monmiral, in whom Ferguson owns a part share, came from behind to land the Pertemps Final.

Blinkered first time, the 25-1 shot led on the run-in under Harry Cobden to beat Kyntara (16-1) and Cuthbert Dibble (11-2 favourite), with Bold Endeavour fourth at 50-1.

Harry Cobden steers Monmiral to victory in the Pertemps FinalCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"I can't believe this horse has just done that!" jockey Harry Cobden said.

He had not fancied the horse when asked about his prospects in the morning and recalled: "I said he was 25-1, I thought he should be 125-1. That shows what I know! The blinkers have made a massive difference, I think that's the decider."

It was a 49th Cheltenham Festival victory for Nicholls but a first since Stay Away Fay won on the final day last year.

Reflecting on a tough first two days, Cobden said: "We take on the Irish here and the racing goes up two notches. It's much more competitive, but I'm delighted to have this one."

Nicholls was philosophical about the week's earlier reverses, pointing out that Stay Away Fay pulled a shoe off, was sore afterwards and may prefer better ground.

And he was delighted to land his first success with a seven-year-old who failed to take to jumping fences.

"This horse has loads of ability," Nicholls said on Racing TV. "We tried to make a chaser out of a hurdler and he didn't like it. I thought I'd qualify him for the Pertemps two weeks ago. He actually needed the run that day because he hadn't finished a race for a long time. I thought he'd run okay today, I didn't necessarily expect him to win."

Ferguson has had many winners around the world but this was his first success at the Cheltenham Festival and he said: "That was fantastic. What a jockey; he was brilliant." 

Mel Rowley, who had much of her yard washed away by Storm Babet, had mixed feelings after Kyntara's close second and said: "You've got to be disappointed because he so deserved to win but we're on the biggest stage. 

"All credit to the horse, he doesn't know how to run a bad race or when to give up trying. He's galloped all the way to the line and done nothing wrong. The champagne corks will be popping!"

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