Michael Owen once said the excitement of racing was the one thing that could match the thrill of scoring a goal and, on November 24th, 2017, he certainly put that theory to the test.
With 222 goals in 482 games, Owen was prolific in front of goal for Liverpool, England, Real Madrid and Manchester United but his form over the flat is pretty impressive too.
After he announced himself to the Premier League in 1996, scoring on his Liverpool debut at Wimbledon, his pace and predatory instincts made him one of the most prolific strikers in the game.
His club career would see him lift the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup as well as the Ballon d’Or in 2001 while scoring over 200 club goals in the process.
For his country, he was awarded 89 Three Lions caps, with his 40 goals placing him sixth in the all-time goalscorers chart having represented England at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups along with the Euros in 2000 and 2004.
But when he finally hung up his boots in 2013, instead of pursuing a career coaching strikers of the future, he turned his attention to the gallops and his other great passion in life - race horses.
Along with his wife Louise, he set up Manor House stables at their Cheshire home, a base for over 100 thoroughbreds with notable names such as Brown Panther, which won the Dubai Gold Cup in 2015 as well as the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2011, in residence.
But not content with just training and breeding race horses, and despite not even having sat on a horse until just a few months before, Owen actually took to the saddle himself in 2017 riding Calder Prince in the Prince’s Countryside Fun Charity Race at Ascot.
“I’ve never put one leg either side of a horse before and that happened five months ago,” said Owen prior to the race, who had been forbidden from riding previously due to his football commitments.
"I was asked to ride and thought ‘well, it’s one way of trying to get fit, it’s a way of getting down to a good weight because, as we know when we retire, it is not easy.
“I’d probably had a couple of drinks when I agreed to do it. And my mum is still beside herself and telling me not to do it and my wife is saying ‘what are you doing?!’
Such was his dedication that Owen shed almost two stone in preparation for the race, embarking on a rigorous training regime which was harder than anything he’d experienced during his playing days - and his efforts certainly paid off.
Owen and Calder Prince briefly hit the front of the pack in the 7-furlong contest after rounding the home turn but they were chased down in the final stages by the eventual winner, Golden Wedding, ridden by vet Tom Chatfield-Roberts with the former England marksman eventually coming second.
"I'm home in one piece and had the time of my life," said Owen who was presented with a prize by then Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall after the race.
“The accomplishment of finishing second, being safe and sound, and having a great time was amazing. There was plenty of good to come out of the day.
“It was such good fun and I’m really pleased with the whole outcome. My horse ran a cracking race and I’m delighted to be second.
“You never know, I’ll probably end up doing it again. I’d probably stick to the charity races because it’s great raising money for charities.
“I’ve also managed to lose a lot of weight as well, so that’s another added bonus.”
