Sir Alex Ferguson's hopes for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival have suffered a blow as Live Conti, the 9-1 favourite for the County Hurdle, has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a tendon strain. The horse, owned by Ferguson and a group of friends, was trained by Dan Skelton.
Live Conti had shown promise since arriving from France, winning first time out at Wetherby and finishing second in a Grade 1 race at the Grand National meeting. Skelton described him as a 'very, very good horse' but noted he was giving 7lb to the winner and was keen throughout.
This season, Live Conti was well beaten at Ascot before running third in a valuable handicap hurdle at Windsor last month, a performance that caught bookmakers' attention. He was heading the betting ahead of 10-1 chance Murcia, who had beaten him at Aintree in April.
Skelton announced the news on X, stating: 'Unfortunately Live Conti has tendon strain and will not make Cheltenham. He’ll be back in training next winter.' The horse is expected to return to hurdling next season before switching to chasing.
Ferguson, 84, has enjoyed multiple big race successes since retiring from football, including two wins at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival with Monmiral and Protektorat, and another last year with Caldwell Potter. However, Caldwell Potter has also been ruled out for the season after a setback.
