Sir Alex Ferguson's impressive streak as co-owner of a growing stable of racehorses continued on Friday at Newbury's winter carnival meeting, where Regent's Stroll and Kalif Du Berlais secured a double in the first two races. These victories contributed approximately £19,000 to the prize money earnings of syndicates in which Ferguson participates during the current National Hunt season. This sum is a mere fraction of the £472,000 earned by Spirit Dancer, Ferguson's top Flat horse, in the Bahrain International Trophy earlier this month. Both winners are young and showing significant improvement, with potential that seems almost limitless. Following their wins, they received quotes for races at Cheltenham's festival meeting in March. Regent's Stroll, who remains undefeated after three starts, is priced at around 14-1 for the Turners Novice Hurdle on 12 March, while Kalif Du Berlais, who recovered from a fall on his chasing debut to win a novice handicap chase, is 50-1 for the Arkle Trophy Novice Chase the previous afternoon. The victory of Regent's Stroll was particularly satisfying for Paul Nicholls, the gelding's trainer, as he had feared the five-year-old might leave the yard when Chris Giles, its former owner, dissolved his racing interests earlier in the year. A syndicate of four, including Ferguson and his close friend Ged Mason, paid £660,000 to retain Regent's Stroll in Nicholls's yard when it was auctioned in July. "They've collectively invested and now have some beautiful horses for the future," Nicholls said after Kalif Du Berlais' success. "They have a strong team of horses now, and it's great having five or six of them together. When these horses generate this kind of money, we can afford to buy them, and with six of them, it's not as challenging as trying to secure one. It's great to have them on board, and they truly enjoy it."
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