One of this year’s national favorites is the focus of a British Horseracing Authority investigation after it was revealed the £75m fortune owned by Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for being “frozen or restrained” by a court order.
The BHA has confirmed it is aware of the media reports and is “in contact with those involved to understand what impact, if any, there will be on their involvement in motorsport”. It is investigating whether Monbeg Genius, one of the leading contenders in Britain’s most famous show jumping race, is one of the properties in question and may not be able to run.
The chaser bowed out of the Wales Grand National over Christmas and had a worthy run in the final 48 hours of the announcement earlier this month, taking on Jonjo O’Neill Trained, the current price for the Grand National is around 20-1, with a £500,000 first prize awarded to the owner of the winning horse. Maughan bought the eight-year-old gelding for £80,000 in November 2020, reportedly as a second wedding gift to her husband.
Mone and Barrowman have since come under intense media scrutiny and were recently investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) over their links to PPE company Medpro, which received £202m worth of supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Government contracts. The government has also launched proceedings to recover £122m (plus costs) from PPE Medpro after some equipment supplied fell below required standards. The couple have strongly denied any wrongdoing, with Barrowman saying: “Michelle and I were hung out to dry to distract from the government’s incompetence in handling the procurement of personal protective equipment.” [a] Period of national emergency. “
Meanwhile, a “freeze” order on £75m of the Barrowman family’s assets was made in December but did not emerge until last week.
The Momberg talent have been on a tear since a narrow third place finish (behind Coraci Rambler and Fastoslo) in the Ultimate Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last March. Considered a major contender in this year’s national competition. A month later Corach Rambler won the Grand National and Fastorslow became a major contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March this season.
The gelding performed well on his season debut in early December, but after Monbeg Genius withdrew from the Warwick Classic Chase this month, O’Neill told the Racing Post that the horse “It’s still not quite right,” adding: “He can still be a big horse, there’s still a few months to go. It’s still in the back of our minds but he needs to come first. If they’re not right then the running It just doesn’t make sense.”
However, O’Neill said at Cheltenham on Saturday that the Mountberg talent was “close to done” in terms of being able to return to full training but would need a preparation session to take his chance at Aintree in April. And if the Momberg talent is indeed one of the frozen assets of the Barrowman family, it is difficult to see how he could have been announced as running for the current boss, as his current valuation is undoubtedly several times higher than his £80,000 purchase price times.
Meanwhile, if the Momberg prodigy is free to compete in the National, it could create a new set of problems for Aintree and the promoters of the National, given the current profile of his boss.
The National Competition is the most famous competition in the UK and the only one that still attracts widespread public participation every year. It has always been “the people’s race” and as a handicap it is more accessible to the “average” car owner than a race like the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
quick guide
Greg Wood’s Tuesday Tips
exhibit
chepstow 1.00 Out Of Focus 1.35 Hill Spirit 2.10 Leissieres Express 2.45 Jaminska 3.20 Zambezi Fix 3.55 Followango 4.30 Lady Harriett
new castle 1.15 Nala the Lioness 1.50 Ushuaia Dancer 2.25 619 3.00 Florida Dream 3.35 Readysteadybeau (nb) 4.10 Atlantic Dancer
Southwell 5.00 King of York 5.30 Solomon 6.00 Trulie Good 6.30 Pass (nap) 7.00 Rhasidat 7.30 Come back tomorrow 8.00 Kaidu 8.30 Come on John
Just last year, the seven-strong winning group, which included a student whose interest in racing was sparked by watching TV shows during lockdown, initially paid just £17,000 for the Corach Rambler. The £500,000 prize may go to a couple whose activities during the pandemic are, to say the least, more controversial, but the PR value for the sport is not the same.
Representatives for Michelle Mohn and Doug Barrowman have not responded to requests for comment.
