Grand National 2025: Sir Alex Ferguson's horse riding in big Aintree race

The runners and riders for the 2025 have been confirmed, and Sir has an interest in the race once more. The legendary football manager has watched his horses chase glory at Aintree in the past, and this year is no exception.

Ferguson didn't have a runner in 2024, but that has changed this time. He is a part owner of Hitman, a Paul Nicholls-trained horse which will be ridden by Freddie Gingell at .

The former boss also has horses in some of the day's earlier and later races. Monmiral is running for him in the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap Hurdle at 1.20pm, while L'Eau Du Sud runs at 5pm in the Rosconn Group Maghull Novices' Chase.

Hitman is not among the favourites to win the Grand National this year. The horse has odds of 28/1 at the time of writing, while I Am Maximus is the 6/1 favourite after .

Ferguson has been in attendance at Aintree on plenty of occasions in the past. Back in 2022, he enjoyed a trio of wins at the famous racecourse on Grand National day, albeit not in the big one.

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Monmiral was one of those three winners. The horse, which he shares with John Hales, was an odds-on favourite for the second race of the day at Aintree in 2021, and responsible second of those three wins.

Protektorat, a 17-2 shot, got Ferguson off to a winning start. Things got even better when Monmiral followed suit and then Clan Des Obeaux came out on top in the Betway Bowl.

“That’s the best day I’ve had in my time in racing, which is about 20 years or so," Ferguson said at the time. “It is different to when I was managing my football teams - I was in control of what was going to happen on the pitch, but I’m not in control of that (on the racetrack) as the trainer does all of that and as an owner you hope it goes well.

"You do get the same excitement when you win big races like that as it does get you very excited.” The same year, Give Me a Copper ran for Ferguson in the Grand National itself that year but was a non-finisher.

If the Scot is able to oversee a winner this time around, it will be just the latest in a line of successes which he mostly enjoyed in the football . All 13 of Manchester United's record 13 triumphs came with Ferguson at the helm, while he also led the Red Devils to glory in 1999 and 2008.

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