Racing on alert after protest at United rift

Racing News: There will be extra security on duty at Leopardstown tomorrow as the dispute between the Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and the racing duo of John Magnier and JP McManus took a new twist in Britain yesterday.

Up to 20 people staged a protest before a race at Hereford that contained a McManus-owned horse. Afterwards a spokesman for the protesters said similar protests were likely in both Ireland and France.

McManus owns the leading Hennessy Gold Cup hope Le Coudray and although it is not known if he will be attending the race meeting, the Leopardstown authorities say they are mindful of the situation.

"We are always conscious of potential breaches of security. We will monitor things and we are aware of what is happening in the UK," said the Leopardstown spokesman Tom Burke.

McManus was not at Leopardstown two weeks ago when Foreman carried his green and gold colours to victory in the AIG Irish Champion Hurdle.

However, the feeling in Irish racing circles is that similar action to what happened in Britain yesterday is unlikely to happen here as McManus, a renowned gambler and supporter of racing, is generally popular.

Some United fans have been angered by the in-fighting between McManus and Magnier and the club's board following a dispute between manager Alex Ferguson and Magnier over the stud rights to Rock Of Gibraltar.

Yesterday's protest at Hereford was aimed at the participation of the McManus-owned outsider, Majestic Moonbeam, in the Jenkinsons Caterers Beginners' Chase. The horse failed to complete the course, unseating Liam Cooper at the fifth fence.

Carrying a flag embroidered with the name of the Manchester suburb Beswick, the fans unfurled banners reading "United not for sale" and "Quit the horseplay Coolmore" and placed them across the open ditch after the winning post.

But though a confrontation looked likely, security staff persuaded the group to leave the course after about 15 minutes.

Initially they were reluctant to talk, but one member - who gave his name as "JP" - said: "We will carry on doing this for as long as it takes.

"This is the anniversary of the weekend of the Munich air crash, which nearly killed our club, and we will not allow Manchester United to be killed again.

"We will go wherever Coolmore are represented on the racetrack, not just in England, but in Ireland, France or anywhere.

"It will be a peaceful protest. There will be no violence. This stuff about kicking footballs at horses is rubbish.

"We will continue until they (Magnier and McManus) have sold their shares and when they do sell their shares, it must be to a buyer we are happy with.

"We represent all the different groups who want to protest about it. We have all come down from Manchester today but we can and we will go anywhere we have to - it's no bother for us to go over to France for the day if that's what we have to do."

The statement released by the protest group said: "Today's action will hopefully make Coolmore aware of the scope of the options open to the MEC (Manchester Education Committee). This was a small, relatively insignificant protest orchestrated by invitation only.

"Plans are already afoot to publicly announce a target 'spectacular' at a more convenient time for all United fans to attend and disrupt. Meanwhile the MEC's intention is to hit more minor meetings such as Hereford until such time as Coolmore bow to the demands of the MEC."

Meanwhile, security is to be stepped up for the big meeting at Sandown Park today, where both owners are set to be strongly represented.

"We will be reviewing our plans and arrangements this evening and tomorrow morning," Sandown clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said yesterday.

"We will keep the situation under review, but as we saw this afternoon, the threat of disruption is a real one."

The McManus-owned champion staying hurdler Baracouda is due to be in action at Sandown, as is Magnier's crack Smurfit Champion Hurdle hope Rhinestone Cowboy, who will be ridden by his amateur son JP.