Football and horse racing are two sports that have been closely intertwined throughout the history of the Premier League. It isn’t uncommon to see EPL stars at the racecourse, whether that be due to their commitments as an owner or whether it is down to a team outing at a major events such as the Grand National or the Cheltenham Festival.
However, due to this close relationship between the sports, there have been no shortage of footballers that have branched out into horse ownership throughout recent history.
Sir Alex Ferguson is among the most famous figures in Premier League history following his period of success with Manchester United, but he is also the most successful footballing figure in racing after one of his equines competed in a horse tournament.
He achieved Cheltenham Festival success with Protektorat and Monmiral at this year’s meet. But, who are some of the legendary players that have also dipped their feet into the world of horse racing?
Joey Barton
Joey Barton has been largely making negative headlines throughout 2024 following his dismissal at Bristol Rovers. However, he enjoyed a long-playing career, which included spells at Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Marseille.
Barton also represented England on one occasion before calling time on his career in 2017 to take managerial roles at first Fleetwood Town and then Bristol Rovers. The former midfielder also has a long-standing passion for horse racing, owning a string of horses in the north of England.
Crying Lightening, named after the Arctic Monkeys hit, was his most successful runner on track. The horse was co-owned with former Bayern Munich legend Claudio Pizarro.
The runner landed three victories in eleven starts on the turf, which included victory in the October Stakes at Ascot in October 2011. The former footballer also owned Little Garcon and My Propeller.
Wayne Rooney
One of the greatest players in Premier League history also has a passion for horse racing, as Wayne Rooney is a regular visitor to the Grand National meet alongside his wife Coleen.
Rooney is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of his generation, netting a club record 253 goals for Man United across a 13-year career at the Theatre of Dreams. The striker is one of just two English players to have won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup.
However, his attempt to claim more success in the world of horse racing is yet to reap as many rewards. Rooney has spent over £80,000 on horses to date, but has only claimed returns in the region of £5,000. His most successfully horse to date is Tomway, who claimed his only win back in July 2012.
Michael Owen
Few footballers have arguably been more interested in horse racing more than their actual sport more so than Michael Owen. The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner was one of the brightest talents on the planet after making his big breakthrough at the 1998 World Cup.
Owen would achieve legendary status at Liverpool, before cutting all ties with the club to sign for Manchester United in his quest to finally get his hands on the Premier League title. Owen has achieved notable victories on the flat throughout his career in racing, with one of his standout victories coming at Royal Ascot in the King George V Stakes with Brown Panther.
The horse would later finish second in the St Leger Stakes, before scoring victory in the lucrative Dubai World Cup in March 2015. The former striker has had an excellent career in racing, with 2010 figures showing that he won over £400,000 in prize money during that calendar year alone.
Steve McManaman
There was clearly a massive horse racing following within the Liverpool changing rooms throughout the 1990s, as some of the club’s top stars continue to joint-own a number of runners across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Steve McManaman has been a long-time fan of horse racing, and is widely considered to be one of the best English exports of the modern era after playing over 100 times for Real Madrid.
During his time in Spain, the midfielder won eight trophies and played in eleven cup finals. Following his time in Spain, McManaman would return to England for a two-year stay with Manchester City. His passion for racing started at a young age, as his father and grandfather were both bookmakers. Seebald was one of his first success stories, with the runner winning nine times over fences and four times on the flat.
More recently, McManaman has achieved success as part of The Running Order Partnership with Michael Owen. Box To Box has been one of their most productive competitors on track after winning five from 28 starts on the turf. One of his best efforts came late last year after finishing second behind Isle of Jura in the Al Muharraq Cup in Bahrain.
