Harry Redknapp owns leading Gold Cup contender The Jukebox Man
Sir Alex Ferguson has sampled Cheltenham Festival success before
Brighton owner Tony Bloom landed the Triumph Hurdle last season with huge outsider Poniros
The appeal of the Cheltenham Festival spreads far beyond the narrow confines of horse racing's bubble.
We are well used to seeing famous faces from the sporting world turn out at the Cheltenham Festival and, in particular, famous footballers regularly rock up in the Cotswolds in March.
The likes of Paul Scholes, Peter Crouch, Jack Grealish and Michael Owen have been spotted in the Cheltenham enclosures and some famous former bosses have led their horses into the winners' enclosure.
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is less than a month away and we are looking at three famous faces from the world of football hoping to see their horses thrive.
Harry Redknapp
The former West Ham, Portsmouth, Southampton and Tottenham manager is a keen racing fan and has been out of the dugout since he left Birmingham in September 2017.
Shakem Up'arry famously won the Festival Plate for Redknapp and trainer Ben Pauling in 2024 at Cheltenham and now they have designs on the biggest prize of all in the Cotswolds.
The Jukebox Man won the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day to take his record over fences to a perfect 4-4.
He got up gamely to win the Christmas Grade 1 and all roads are destined for the Gold Cup on March 13 since.
He was second in the Albert Bartlett as a novice over hurdles in 2024 and this will be his second Cheltenham appearance.
Redknapp famously won the FA Cup with Pompey in 2008 at Wembley but he admits seeing his charge score at Kempton was up there with anything he has done.
"Football was my life, winning the Cup Final was incredible, but this is really special," he said.
The Jukebox Man is a 5/1 chance with LiveScore Bet to add the Cheltenham Gold Cup crown to his collection.
The latest Cheltenham Festival odds are available with LiveScore Bet
Sir Alex Ferguson
Manchester United's greatest ever boss led the Red Devils to an era of unprecedented success and it was during his time at Old Trafford that Sir Alex Ferguson's interest in racing was nurtured.
Fergie won the Premier League 13 times and twice won the Champions League as United boss. He had to be patient in the early days of his tenure and it was something similar in his quest to own a Cheltenham Festival winner.
That came when Monmiral landed the Pertemps Final in 2024 for trainer Paul Nicholls as a 25/1 outsider.
As luck would have it, Fergie didn't have to wait long for his second as barely half an hour later Protektorat won the Ryanair Chase for Dan and Harry Skelton under the same ownership banner he shared with Ged Mason and the late John Hales.
Protektorat won the Fleur De Lys Chase at Windsor in January and with the likes of Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior likely to head for the Gold Cup, the veteran could have eyes on a second Ryanair win, a contest he is 16/1 with LiveScore Bet to win on March 12.
The latest Cheltenham Festival odds are available with LiveScore Bet
Tony Bloom
Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom is enjoying an unlikely title bid in Scotland after his summer investment in Hearts.
The Jambos are showing Celtic and Rangers the way currently and a big upset is something Bloom knows all about after Poniros carried his colours to glory in the Triumph Hurdle last season at 100/1 for trainer Willie Mullins.
Bloom had previously won successive renewals of the Queen Mother Champion Chase with Energumene in 2022 and 2023. He's a 12-year-old now but could have a Cotswolds swansong in the Champion Chase.
Poniros, meanwhile, returned from 229 days off with a pleasing third in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival and plenty of observers see the lightly-raced five-year-old as an outsider of note in the Champion Hurdle on day one of Cheltenham 2026.
He's 16/1 with LiveScore Bet for that contest.
The latest Cheltenham Festival odds are available with LiveScore Bet
