Sir Alex Ferguson and pals are kicking off the new season at Cheltenham on Friday with a £180,000 horse they purchased there.

Un Sens A La Vie was acquired at the post-racing sale in November 2024, hours after exciting youngster Potters Charm had secured the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

Following the good result, Willy Twiston-Davies, the co-trainer of both, went to the sales ring and put in the top bid for the winner of an Irish point-to-point.

Un Sens A La Vie was registered in the syndicate name of El Rincon, which takes its name from a restaurant where Ferguson's friend and fellow horse racing fan Ged Mason celebrated his 60th birthday.

The five-year-old recruit from Ballyboy Stables was given one run in a bumper before he was put away for the summer - and went into many notebooks when running away with a Market Rasen maiden hurdle earlier this month.

Un Sens A La Vie is 7-4 to take the Grade Two Oddschecker Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham's first card of the 2025-26 season on Friday, which opens the William Hill Showcase meeting.

"He's a lovely horse. He did it well the first time and hopefully he'll step forward for it," said Twiston-Davies, who trains a short distance from the track with his father Nigel.

"It's a rise in grade and a logical step. There's not a race at the November meeting so hopefully this fits in well into his schedule.

"I'd like to think we have are particularly strong in the novice division this season."

If coming through the test, Twiston-Daves hopes Un Sens A La Vie will follow the same route as Potters Charm, who was a hit for the owners in Aintree's Grade One Formby Novices' Hurdle on Boxing Day.

He then went on to finish fifth on the top flight Turners Novices' Hurdle at Prestbury Park's showpiece four-day Festival in March.

Potters Charm is one of many good thoroughbreds Mason has shared with the Manchester United legend over the years.

Homebred Spirit Dancer, earned more than £2 million in prize money and took the pair to the Bahrain International Trophy (2023, 2024) and Neom Turf Cup at Riyadh (2024).

Mason drew new people into the sport via El Rincon - which has six members - as he enjoyed an evening in Manchester.

"We were in a Spanish restaurant called El Rincon," he previously said. "It is a group of friends including many who have not been in racing before.

"Paul Nicholls was there but went home and Willy talked us into two horses which have both won."

Sir Alex Ferguson and pals kick off Cheltenham's new season with £180,000 racehorse - The Mirror