Roy Keane warned Alex Ferguson about taking on Irish billionaire John Magnier over Rock Of Gibraltar.
A bitter row broke out between Ferguson and the former Manchester United shareholder, who owned almost 30 per cent of the club with JP McManus, in early 2003 over the horse's stud rights, with a legal settlement reached in March 2004.
The first horse ever to win seven consecutive Group Ones in the northern hemisphere, Rock Of Gibrlatar's death was announced by Coolmore on Monday.
READ MORE: Horse at centre of Manchester United conflict involving JP McManus and Alex Ferguson dies aged 23
After beating stablemate Hawk Wing in the 2000 Guineas, Rock Of Gibraltar went on to carry the colours of part-owner Ferguson to further top-level victories in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and the Prix du Moulin in France.
He rounded off his racing career by finishing a close second to Domedriver in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile at Arlington Park.
At stud he sired a total of 16 Group or Grade One winners including Coral-Eclipse victor Mount Nelson and Golden Jubilee and Haydock Sprint Cup hero Society Rock.
Ferguson was given a half-share in the horse early in his career and believed he was entitled to money made by the horse at stud.
He previously said: "He ran in my colours under an agreement I had with the Coolmore racing operation in Ireland.
"My understanding was that I had a half-share in the ownership of the horse; theirs was that I would be entitled to half the prize money."
But then-United captain Keane warned Ferguson about taking on Magnier.
“Somebody I met in Ireland had told me to tell him [Ferguson]: ‘You are not going to win this,’ Keane wrote in his book, ‘The Second Half’. “I mentioned it to him. And I told him that I didn’t think it was good for the club, the manager in a legal dispute with shareholders.
“I felt I was entitled to say that. He was just a mascot for them. Walking around with this Rock Of Gibraltar – ‘Look at me, how big I am,’ – and he didn’t even own the bloody thing.”
Relations between fans of the club and their owners began to sour over the argument and there was even a Cheltenham Gold Cup Day protest planned, something which Ferguson had to publicly plead against going ahead.
The conflict reached a resolution of sorts when Ferguson settled out of court for £2.5m, a sum which many experts speculated he could have made per year had he agreed to proposals on the table from Magnier.
Malcolm Glazer watched on as the equine row frayed relations between ownership and manager at the famed club and in May of 2005, four years on from the initial fallout over Rock of Gibraltar, he and his family swooped in to pick up the pieces as they took over the club for a fee of £790m.
That takeover fee reportedly yielded a cool £70m for Magnier and McManus as they forewent their stake in the club.
Speaking on the passing of Rock of Gibraltar, Coolmore's Castlehyde Stud manager Paddy Fleming reflected on the gap he will leave in the lives of those operating the stud.
He said: “He was healthy and looking great right up to the end.
"He was a fantastic racehorse and a very good sire who will be missed by all the staff here.”
READ NEXT:
Amy Huberman shares child's hilarious unintentional dig at husband Brian O'Driscoll
Jamie Carragher fires dig at Jack Grealish as Almiron comments come back to haunt him
Johnny Sexton as good as ever as Springboks test looms for Ireland
Donegal set to appoint new senior football manager on Monday night
Munster may look for short term replacements as injury toll piles up
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
