The Mirror's Oliver Holt about Ferguson/Coolmore in his book 'Fergie & Shankly'
Sir Alex Ferguson's friendship with Irish racing mogul John Magnier seemed like sports perfect power partnership. But their feud over wonder horse Rock Of Gibraltar nearly brought Ferguson down when Magnier and his business partner, JP McManus, started asking awkward questions about the way United ran their business. This is the inside story of how it all turned sour.
Some observers had begun to sense Sir Alex Ferguson's mood changing about his involvement in horse racing in the summer of 2002.
Wonder horse Rock Of Gibraltar, in which he had been given a half share by multi-millionaire John Magnier, was carrying all before it.
Magnier was in Barbados for the winter by then. When he was told about the call, he was stunned and puzzled.
Ferguson had a half share in Rock Of Gibraltar but the arrangement had been made on a handshake.
Magnier believed he had made it plain that Ferguson's involvement was as a figurehead.
That was why he was happy to pick up all the bills for the horse. Ferguson was used in Coolmore's publicity video and he brought them prestige.
But Ferguson did not pay the horse's training fees. He did not pay its insurance fees. He did not pay its jockey fees. He did not pay its transportation fees. He did not pay its race entry fees.
Those costs came close to £200,000 in the 14 months Ferguson was involved.
If it had been a conventional arrangement, Ferguson would have had to have picked up half the tab. More importantly, Magnier also believed he had made it plain that Ferguson would be handsomely remunerated when it came to the stud rights.
Magnier expected Ferguson would make £250,000 a year, probably for the next 10 years.
For many, that might have seemed like money for nothing. But Ferguson wanted more.