Tony Bloom and Alex Ferguson bookies’ favourites to win more than £100,000 at Cheltenham races on Saturday

TONY BLOOM and Sir Alex Ferguson are favourites with the bookies to win more than £100,000 at Cheltenham races on Saturday.

The Brighton owner and Manchester United legend have two red-hot fancies in the big races.

PA

Bloom could pocket another mega payday thanks to his superstar horse Energumene[/caption]

Bloom’s Champion Chase hero is big 8-15 favourite to win the rescheduled Clarence House Chase and it’s £52,280 prize.

While Fergie’s Protektorat – who he co-owns with Ged Mason and John and Lisa Hales – is 13-8 fav for the Costwold Chase.

Victory there brings with it a cheque for £67,524 and the Dan Skelton-trained jumper goes in top form after winning the Betfair Chase last time out.

Should Bloom – dubbed the ‘cleverest man to ever place a bet’ – and Ferguson’s horses both oblige they’ll pocket a total of £119,804.

Of the two it looks like the bookies think Bloom has the best chance.

His superstar nine-year-old has been beaten only twice in 12 career runs.

The first of those was on debut when third at Navan in 2019.

He showed real star quality after that though and it wasn’t until he went down in a thriller in the Clarence House last year that he tasted defeat again.

Up against Shishkin at Ascot, it looked like Energumene couldn’t lose until Nicky Henderson’s horse somehow kept finding more up the hill.

Since then their careers could not be more different.

A rare bone condition saw Shishkin flop in last year’s Champion Chase, which Energumene won easily.

Energumene is 2-2 since then while Shishkin isn’t even entered in this year’s Champion Chase – the race he was favourite for just 12 months ago.

For Protektorat, Fergie is dreaming of the Holy Grail of racing.

Harry Skelton was superb in the saddle when a runaway winner of the Betfair Chase at Haydock last November.

None other than last year’s Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard was pulled up, with Eldorado Allen the best of the challengers some 11 lengths behind in second.

Protektorat is a best-priced 9-1 for the Cheltenham Festival showpiece this year.

But set to be up against him on Saturday is the thrilling Noble Yeats.

Last year’s Grand National winner showed an electrifying turn of foot to put the Many Clouds Chase at Haydock to bed in a matter of strides when he last ran.

That horse is 7-1 second-favourite for the Gold Cup – but expect both to shorten whoever wins on Saturday.

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Fergie could be celebrating another big winner on Saturday[/caption]

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