Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson's victory over Inter Milan was tempered by the failure of his horse to win it's race yesterday.

Bryan Robson hoped for the best but feared the worst yesterday as he turned up at Cheltenham Festival to support "the gaffer's horse" in the absence of the man himself.

"If it gets beat, I'll get the hairdryer treatment," the former Manchester United captain said prior to the off.

Ferguson, for ever "the gaffer" in the eyes of his favoured charges, has been invested with all sorts of powers in his 23 years in charge at Old Trafford but even he could not transfer the toasting effect of a Morphy Richards at full blast down the end of a mobile telephone.

No matter, when What A Friend, co-owned by Fergie and Manchester businessman Ged Mason, finished out of the placings in the RSA Chase, Robson, Ferguson's former representative on earth, instinctively pulled up the collar of his coat. It was not to ward off the cold.

Mason made the call.

"Fergie was a bit disappointed," Mason commented. "But he said that was racing and there would be another day. In any case, he had other things on his mind."