THE legacy will stand the test of time as well as the famous landmark that he was named after. On the track and off it, Rock of Gibraltar will forever be infamous as well as famous.
Racing fans would marvel at his majesty and will mourn his passing. For supporters of Manchester United, the former 2000 Guineas winner and fabled sire evokes contrasting memories and the fate and future of their club would have been very different had it not been for one of sports most controversial legal battles.
Rock of Gibraltar was owned by Sir Alex Ferguson and Sue Magnier, wife of then Old Trafford shareholder John Magnier, but the friendship soured upon the horse's retirement in 2003. A multi-million pound career in breeding awaited and Ferguson believed he was due a cut of the fees his prized possession would make in the years that followed.