Connect with us

Horse Racing

Legendary horse owner returns to races for first time in 12 years and wins £425k

Published

on

Legendary horse owner returns to races for first time in 12 years and wins £425k

A LEGENDARY horse owner who prefers to keep a low profile returned to the races for the first time in 12 years – and walked away with a share of £425,000.

Sue Magnier – wife of iconic racing figure John – was part of the Coolmore clan at Sandown last weekend.

Sue Magnier, right, made her first appearance at a British racecourse in 12 years to see City Of Troy win the Coral-EclipseCredit: (c)www.healyracing.ie
John and Sue Magnier, seen here with old friend Sir Alex Ferguson, are as high up as it gets in racing royaltyCredit: Getty

Flanked by her husband, and fellow Coolmore partners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Sue was making her first reappearance at a British racecourse in 12 years.

THE SUN RACING MEMBERS ENCLOSURE

THE best bet for savvy punters.

Sign up now for just £1* to be part of racing’s best winner’s enclosure and get…

  • Two free racing tickets, four times a year
  • Templegate’s daily tips before anyone else
  • Tomorrow’s copy of The Favourite at 9pm today
  • Exclusive insights from Andrew Balding and Hayley Turner
  • VIP competitions from Racing Breaks each month
  • New customer offer with Coral

Become a member today for just £1*

*For the first month then £3 per month thereafter.

SIGN UP NOW

18+ Ts and Cs apply. First month membership £1, then £3 per month unless you cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date. For more information contact help@thesun.co.uk

The reason? To see City Of Troy.

Aidan O’Brien’s stable star won the Coral-Eclipse, the feature race of the day, but failed to do so as impressively as he did the Derby at Epsom.

There he kicked clear coming down the hill and barely needed urging from jockey Ryan Moore to thunder past the post.

Moore said afterwards he couldn’t pull him up.

It couldn’t have been more different at Sandown.

City Of Troy, who O’Brien already says is the greatest horse he has ever trained, hung right up the hill and cut across Ghostwriter.

Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa – a horse rated 10lbs inferior to City Of Troy on the day – challenged him to the line, going down only by a length.

Most read in Horse Racing

It wasn’t quite what you expected from the 1-4 favourite.

There was relief more than joy at the end after Sandown’s rain-hit ground appeared to blunt City Of Troy’s awesome finishing kick.

‘I’m not having it’ – Legendary jockey Johnny Murtagh casts doubt on Aidan O’Brien’s City Of Troy claim

Still, it was job done for the all-conquering Coolmore operation – who look to City Of Troy as their stallion of the future.

And a happy return to a British racecourse for Sue.

She is the daughter of late Vincent O’Brien – the man regarded as the greatest racehorse trainer ever.

Her marriage to Irish businessman John was like the coming together of racing royalty and it is in her name, along with Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, that City Of Troy runs.

But for all the winners in that name, she has not been on a British racecourse since watching Camelot claim the Derby in 2012.

And her last trip to Sandown in Esher had come ten years before that.

So it showed how special City Of Troy is that she made the journey and posed for photos in the winner’s enclosure.

The £425,000 first-place prize – while relative peanuts to these mutli-millionaires – no doubt helped a bit too.

FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.


Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

Read more on the Irish Sun

  • Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
  • Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
  • Never chases their losses
  • Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
  • Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
  • Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

Continue Reading