Arsenal-mad Frankie Dettori aiming for Royal Ascot glory for Tottenham icon Ossie Ardiles

Arsenal fan and top trainer John Ryan will put football loyalties to one side as he and Tottenham legend Ossie Ardiles cheer on Manaccan in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Ryan believes Manaccan, who will be ridden by fellow Gooner Frankie Dettori, is the best horse he has ever trained. And he is hoping it brings a much-needed trophy for a team of Tottenham Hotspur supporters who make up the Ossie Ardiles syndicate that owns Manaccan.

Argentinian World Cup winner Ardiles, who played for and managed Spurs, is also planning to be at the track to see the race.

‘Although not quite on a par with the thrill of winning a World Cup it has been a terrific ride in the syndicate,’ said Ardiles. 

‘Manaccan is a star and we believe he can do us all proud at the world’s greatest horse race meeting. To make the winner’s enclosure would certainly be a close third to winning the World Cup in 1978 and the FA Cup in 1981.’

Gooners Frankie Dettori and John Ryan are trying to win a trophy for Spurs icon Ossie Ardiles

Veteran jockey Frankie Dettori is set to ride Ryan-trained Manaccan at Royal Ascot on Tuesday

Ardiles claims winning the King’s Stand would be third only behind the World Cup and FA Cup

Ryan added: ‘Manaccan is as well as I have had him. He looks a picture and a little bit of luck on the day would not go astray. There will be a few faces in the paddock with the football crew and it is lovely to be associated with them. It is great to be able to find them a horse good enough to take them to a place like Royal Ascot.’

Winning the King’s Stand would be a fairy tale for the 20-strong Ossie Ardiles Syndicate, formed of friends who share a Spurs corporate hospitality box. The group’s newly recruited racing followers are professionals with legal, media, medical and shipping backgrounds.

The syndicate, which started in November 2021, was the idea of lifelong Spurs fan Graham Smith-Bernal who owns the renowned Newsells Park Stud in Royston.

Smith-Bernal persuaded his fellow Spurs fans in the box to diversify their sporting interests by getting into horse racing, partly on the premise that they might have a better chance of winning something. 

Membership of the stud’s syndicates are by invitation, with Newsells retaining at least 25 per cent of the shares in each syndicate, thereby maintaining an alignment of interests between Newsells and the syndicate members.

Manaccan is one of six horses racing for the syndicate, with the membership including the local Newsells Park vicar to add her prayers to the dreams of glory.

Smith-Bernal said: ‘Nothing fazes Manaccan. He saves all his energy for his racing. He is the most chilled horse I have owned. He’s incredibly honest and will leave nothing in the locker.’

Dettori, 52 and riding his last Royal Ascot, has been keen to maintain his partnership with Manaccan after he finished third on the colt on unsuitably soft ground at Newmarket last month. 

The 5-1 third favourite made significant progress through the ranks last season when he won the Listed Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster as well as the Listed Rous Stakes at Ascot, one of two wins at the course from only three starts there.

Ryan, who is hoping the thunderstorms that could hit Ascot fail to materialise, said: ‘Manaccan is the best I have had by far. I have been lucky to have a couple of Group-winning sprinters but nothing anything in his league.

‘Ryan Moore has won on him but he has commitments to other people which is why we booked Frankie to ride him in last month’s Palace House Stakes so that he could stay with him at Royal Ascot.’