Upstaging the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and trainers Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton who also paid their respects, Neptune Collonges stood perfectly still at the door of the church as the life of his famous owner was remembered.
Stunning grey Neptune Collonges led the procession at the funeral of iconic owner John Hales at St Mary Magdelene's Church in Shropshire yesterday.
Hales, a close personal friend of Sir Alex and multi-millionaire cuddly toy magnate, died aged 85 last month.
There were emotional scenes at the Berkshire track as Hales, helped by trainer Dan Skelton, walked over to his beloved horse.
On a money-spinning day that saw them collect just shy of £300,000, Sir Alex and Hales jumped up and down as Protektorat and Monmiral won the Ryanair and Pertemps respectively.
