The charity race at Cheltenham is supposed to be all about the taking part - except when serial winners Sir Alex Ferguson and multi-champion trainer Paul Nicholls are involved. Co-owner Fergie and Nicholls were so keen for the Ditcheat trainer’s head lad Clifford Baker to ride the winner that his fancied mount Rainy City, who cost £100,000, had exploited the grey areas of eligibility for the last race on the Festival card yesterday. The regulations, confirmed by a Cheltenham spokeswoman, state that horses in the line-up should all have been given an average BHA rating to ensure a competitive race. Sir Alex Ferguson (right) and Paul Nicholls (left) were at Cheltenham to watch Rainy City finish fifth . Yet Rainy City, who is highly thought of in the Nicholls yard, had no BHA rating, and rival jockeys were concerned that Fergie’s horse was far superior to the rest of the field. The get-out clause buried in the fine print was that any horse without a rating could be handicapped by Cheltenham at their discretion. In the event, Rainy City finished an outpaced fifth, having led for most of the 1m 5f. Nicholls said: ‘Of course we wanted to win. But it’s a charity race and we entered to give Clifford a ride.’ Arena Racing Company, who own racecourses that stage 40 per cent of UK fixtures, still chose to hold their annual drinks party during Cheltenham, even though it is not one of their tracks. ARC are owned by the Reuben brothers, the billionaire property developers who have caused serious upset by closing down popular racecourse Hereford and moving its meetings to the over-raced Chepstow and Uttoxeter tracks. Hereford is now empty most of the time as part of a long-term property play between the local council and the Reuben brothers, who are never seen at the races. Arena Racing Company were among many companies hosting their annual drinks at Cheltenham . It doesn’t say much for the commitment to developing homegrown cricket talent that England selector Mike Newell, in his other role as Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, has signed Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Taylor as a Kolpak player. The 29-year-old has played 23 Tests and 166 ODIs. The move follows another England selector, Middlesex boss Angus Fraser, bringing in New Zealander James Franklin on an Irish passport. Minister for Sport Helen Grant is a guest of the British Horseracing Authority and Jockey Club at Cheltenham today. But Grant, a modest drinker, is unlikely to embrace the liquid Festival hospitality as heartily as one of her predecessors did last year. The former minister was barely able to walk through the car parks after the meeting. Minister for Sport Helen Grant, a modest drinker, is unlikely to end up like a predecessor at Cheltenham . LTA back in fat cat mode . LTA chief executive Michael Downey has yet to justify an annual salary and benefits package of £434,000 plus a massive one-off relocation payment of £190,000. Nor did the Canadian do his image much good by wearing a GB tracksuit top during last weekend’s Davis Cup triumph over the USA in Glasgow — a cardinal sin for a sports administrator. LTA chairman David Gregson had said Downey would receive a £300,000 salary on his appointment but it seems the excesses of the Roger Draper regime are already in danger of being repeated. LTA chief executive Michael Downey was not his usual suited self in Glasgow - he wore a GB tracksuit top . There will be only five more racing days after Saturday before Clare Balding turns her back on presenting the sport following Royal Ascot. But the Balding effect has not boosted Channel 4’s viewing figures — quite the reverse. The Cheltenham peak of 996,000 was down again on Wednesday, year on year, by 20,000. And the last time Cheltenham enjoyed four consecutive days of 1m-plus ratings was pre-Balding in 2012, when Highflyer produced the coverage and John McCririck, John Francome and Derek Thompson were all still on board. Clare Balding arrives at Cheltenham Festival, but her presence has not helped viewing figures . Only Cheltenham could consider £30,000 for two season tickets in the Cheltenham Club good value. However, 100 of the 300 memberships available for the grand top-floor facility in the new £45million grandstand, which are being sold on a minimum three-year basis, have already been bought. And that’s where AP McCoy will be found at Cheltenham next year, having been signed up as the Club ambassador. AP McCoy will be among those in the Cheltenham Club next year, having signed up to be its ambassador .
Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Nicholls-owned exploited grey areas of eligility for Rainy City to ride in the charity race at Cheltenham . But Rainy City led most of the 1m 5f before finishing an outpaced fifth . Arena Racing Company hold their annual drinks at Cheltenham despite it not being one of the 40 per cent of tracks they own in the country . England selector Mike Newell has signed Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Taylor as a Kolpak player in his Nottinghamshire role . A former minister had trouble walking due to drink at Cheltenham last year . LTA chief Michael Downey committed a sports administrator cardinal sin . Clare Balding's presence has not boosted Channel 4’s viewing figures . A third of £30,000 memberships  in the Cheltenham Club have been sold .