Footballers and Managers Who Own Successful Racehorses

At this years’ Cheltenham Festival, there was no shortage of VIPs, ranging from famous music artists to former footballers. Celebrities are a regular presence at the big events but many have taken their passion for spectating at races to the next level by owning their own racehorse.

 

Not surprisingly, there is a long list of former footballers and managers who have taken the leap. With the means to make large investments and a long interest in competitive sport, footballers and horse racing is a fairly natural cross-over.

 

These are some of the most famous racehorse owners from the football world:

 

Sir Alex Ferguson

 

Former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson’s passion for horse racing turned into ownership back in 1998, when he invested in Queensland Star. It is reported that his interest in ownership stemmed from a visit to the Cheltenham Festival a few years previous. Queensland Star went on to have a good set of runs, winning two races, including a win in the first outing at Newmarket.

 

Sir Alex has since acquired multiple racehorses, including Spirit Dancer and Rock of Gibraltar, with Spirit Dancer proving to be almost as successful as his Class of ’92 team, winning the $1 million Bahrain International Trophy.

 

Michael Owen

As a young player breaking into the Liverpool and England teams, Michael Owen was renowned for his lightning pace. His World Cup goal against Argentina at just age 18, was one of the most memorable moments in the tournament and was the start of an exciting career.

 

With this year’s World Cup just around the corner, there is a lot of hype around young players like Lamine Yamal, and for those who like a flutter on the football, you can find competitive odds for the World Cup 2026 on sportsbooks listed on https://www.kasinonetti.com/vedonlyonti/jalkapallon-mm/.

 

Michael Owen is a regular at race meets, and he runs the Michael Owen Racing Club, with his most successful being Brown Panther who claimed a win at Royal Ascot.

 

Wayne Rooney

Rooney was another player who rose to footballing fame in his early years, earning a big move to Manchester United after an impressive start at Everton. Just like his former manager Sir Alex and former team mate Owen, Rooney invested in horses, with his most well-known racehorse being Announcement, whom he part-owns with some of his former United team mates.

 

Ian Wright

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright is another big name footballer who owns racehorses, with the aptly named Born to Finish securing several memorable wins, including one at Kempton. Now working as a pundit, Wright has made several appearances in front of the camera at race meets, interviewing winning jockeys, owners and trainers.

 

These are just a few of the most famous people from the football industry who own horses but there are many more like Harry Redknapp, Thomas Muller and Sergio Ramos, proving there is a strong link between a love of football and a passion for horseracing.