Famous footballers involved in horse racing

There have always been strong links between football and horse racing with the sport of kings often attracting many famous faces from the footballing world over recent years. Players and managers alike have been spotted on multiple occasions at some of the racing calendar’s biggest events in their spare time but many take that interest one step further. Many footballers simply enjoy a lively day at the races with their friends and family but there are also those who have fallen in love with the sport and subsequently invested some of their time and efforts in ownership. Plenty of football’s past and present have gotten involved in racing as the sport of kings has endeared itself to the biggest names. As with driving flashy cars and living in luxury, owning a racehorse seems to have become another part of a footballer’s lifestyle. Here’s a look at some of the most recognisable names in football involved in the world of horse racing.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United’s most successful manager won everything there was to win over the course of his 26 years in charge of the Old Trafford club. His 13 Premier League titles is a record still held by the Scot today and when combined with two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups and four League Cups there are few that would doubt he is one of the greatest managers of all time. His spell in the dugout at the Manchester club is legendary and his love of football is only rivaled in a sporting capacity by his love of horse racing. One of his earliest horses was Candleriggs, named after a street in his native Glasgow who didn’t know much success but shortly after came the best horse to carry his familiar red‐and‐white colours, 2000 Guineas hero Rock Of Gibraltar. The 2002 European Horse of the Year is the most famous example of racing and football mixing in the UK largely because of the subsequent dispute with owner John Magnier. Ferguson claimed that in 2001 he was gifted a 50% stake in the horse by Magnier, who at the time was a major shareholder at United alongside associate J.P. McManus. Fergie asked for his share of the lucrative stud fees after the horse was valued at £200 million following seven Group 1 wins. Ferguson ended up settling for £2.5 million but the spat caused tension in the United boardroom and contributed to the pair’s eventual sale to the controversial Glazer family. More recently Ferguson has had success with Clan Des Obeaux who is a two-time King George winner.

Michael Owen

Former England international Michael Owen once said the excitement of racing was the only thing that could match up to the thrill of scoring a goal for club or country. It is little surprise then that the pundit is often pictured at some of horse racing’s biggest events; don’t be too surprised if you see him at the next Cheltenham Festival. He has been a familiar fixture at the tracks since retiring and has even had a go in the saddle. Back in 2017 as part of a charity race Owen rode Calder Prince finishing an impressive second place at Ascot and his love of the sport has only grown since then. His love affair with the sport began back in 2006 after founding his own stable in Cheshire and turning it into a Group 1-calibre facility for trainer Tom Dascombe. His passion for the sport is undeniable after having been spotted with tears of joy in his eyes when Brown Panther won the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot back in 2011. While Owen hasn’t quite hit the heights of his footballing career in the racing world he has still known plenty of success and his love of the sport is still as strong as ever.

Antoine Griezmann

The first active footballer on our list, the 32-year-old French international still has a little bit to go in his playing career but that hasn’t stopped him pursuing his interest in racing. The World Cup winner was first introduced to the world of racing by his father who indoctrinated him with a love of the sport. His venture into horse racing is not just a fanciful stab in the dark either; the Frenchman has known a great deal of success. The Barcelona striker was at Chantilly in 2017 to see Enable win her first Arc de Triomphe and he has become a familiar sight in winners’ enclosures ever since. Tornibush, trained in Lyon by Phillippe Decouz, won four races, including a Group 3 at Longchamp in 2018. Hooking was the winner at Chantilly and Longchamp in 2021 while Start Me Up won at Saint-Cloud in 2022. The 30‐year‐old also has a team of trotting horses as his enthusiasm for racing grows.

Wayne Rooney

The Manchester United legend was a mainstay at the Old Trafford club during one of their most successful spells under the watchful eye of another name on this list. The Red Devil’s record goalscorer earned most of his accolades at United during Ferguson’s tenure before eventually rounding off his playing career in 2020. Before then however, Fergie’s love of horseracing clearly rubbed off on the former England striker. Rooney has owned three horses over the years, although he’s not had the same success in racehorse ownership compared to his accomplishments on the pitch. He invested £200,000 on racehorses Switcharooney and Pippy back in 2013, but retired the pair after they managed just a single victory between them in 23 starts. Since then he brought in Announcement in a part-ownership alongside former United teammates Michael Carrick, John O’Shea and Jonny Evans. Again the horse has not seen much success but that has done little to dampen the former England icon’s interest in the sport of kings.