Is Fergie set to quit?

Having put the matter in the hands of his lawyers, Ferguson has kept his own counsel over the Rock Of Gibraltar issue until admitting over the weekend that adverse publicity surrounding the case is doing the club no good. However, in private he must be dismayed at the way some racing insiders who embraced him during the good times have jumped firmly on Magnier's side of the fence.

Ferguson's former chief adviser Mike Dillon, who will be a crucial witness if the case over the Rock reaches court, has been left in an invidious position by the row but seems to have nailed his colours firmly to the Coolmore mast.

Ladbrokes' PR director is still seen on racecourses with Magnier and JP McManus, but has not been seen with Ferguson on a racecourse for months.

And then there is the well known Racing Post columnist Alastair Down who in an interview with Ferguson at United's training ground waxed lyrical about him being "a gentleman from Govan" who "can only be good for our game".

He seems to have changed tack dramatically and recently quoted "an unnamed friend" in his column to sum up Ferguson's behaviour over the Rock: "What do you expect of a pig but a grunt?" said the friend.

The remark amply sums up how the bulk of the racing media have turned on a man who was once welcomed with open arms.

What is beyond dispute is that the six years which have passed since Queensland Star - owned in partnership with old friends from Scotland - gave Ferguson his first winner must now seem like a lifetime. Back then the volatile Scot was just looking for a new hobby.

For long enough, it served its purpose. But as the stakes became higher, so did the profile of his partners. The millionaire Hong Kong trainer Ivan Allan joined him in a couple of more expensive Flat horses who didn't live up to early expectations, while his initial ventures with the Magnier team yielded a couple of useful winners.

And then along came Rock Of Gibraltar. The bay became the first horse to land seven consecutive Group 1 races in 2002 and now lies at the heart of one of the most damaging episodes in the history of Manchester United.

The next few days will be pivotal in testing whether Ferguson will put his career on the line in order to pursue Magnier in the Irish courts.

If he confounds the pundits who are dismissing his legal battle with Magnier as madness he could win enough money to buy a string of top horses and a lavish yard.

Whether he will want another dalliance with the sport of kings after the way some of its leading players have treated him over the last few months is another matter.