Alan Shearer had a 50-1 Cheltenham winner – but couldn't watch his moment of glory
Alan Shearer is a horse owner himself, but the Newcastle legend missed his biggest Cheltenham triumph
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer was no stranger to defying expectations throughout his Premier League career. But perhaps his most remarkable triumph as an outsider occurred at Cheltenham when one of his horses, Akilak, romped home as a 50-1 victor.
The Magpies icon wasn't even present to witness his moment of triumph unfold in 2005, however. That's because he was on matchday duties with Newcastle as they faced off against Coventry in the fourth round of that year's FA Cup. It created a distinctive scenario at St James' Park, where Shearer had shrewdly arranged to have his friends and fellow co-owners positioned in his private box. They subsequently relayed the result of their wager in real time as he came off at the interval. Shearer, 55, believed his mates were having him on before he managed to sneak a look at the result himself. And the afternoon was rendered even more rewarding by the fact Newcastle defeated Coventry 3-1, with Shearer breaking the deadlock.
The Jockey Club provides a range of ticket options for each day of the event for less than the on-the-gate prices.
"I once had a winner at Cheltenham, not at the Festival, but Trials Day, which was a 50-1 shot," Shearer, who once had 10 feet of manure dumped outside his house following a derby defeat to Sunderland, told Betfair. "Unfortunately, I was actually playing that day at St James's Park.
"We had a horse called Akilak, and the other owners, my mates, had gone down to watch the horse and half of my other mates were in my box during the game. Before the game, because I knew the race was going to happen during the first half, I said: 'When I look up when walking off at half-time, I need you to give me a clue as to whether it's won or not'.
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"I was walking off at half-time, looking at all of my pals in the box, and they were all going absolutely berserk, with their arms up in the air. I thought: 'These idiots are daft, they're winding me up'.
"But I got into the dressing room, the manager did his team talk, and then I snuck my phone into the toilet to see if I could check on the result! We won the match as well, so it was one of the better days. We went out to celebrate both wins afterwards - it was a great day!"
Beyond his involvement with Akilak, Shearer also shared ownership of another horse, Augusta Kate, with golfer Lee Westwood and fellow Newcastle icons Ant and Dec. The mare was under the tutelage of Willie Mullins and ran at the Cheltenham Festival in both 2017 and 2018.
Reflecting on his Festival experience, Shearer added: "I've been to Cheltenham with Augusta Kate, at the Festival. It was amazing to go into the parade ring, with the other owners and trainers, it was brilliant. It's a side you don't usually see as a punter - it was brilliant to experience."
While it remains unclear if the former footballer intends to attend this year's Festival in person, he'll certainly be there in spirit. This is due to a contender named after the ex-England star, Shearer, set to compete in the St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase on Friday after finishing fifth in the same race last year.
