Fury as horse owned by scandal-hit bra tycoon Michelle Mone and her husband among favourites to win Grand National
THERE was anger yesterday as a horse owned by scandal-hit bra tycoon Michelle Mone and her hubby was included in a list of potential Grand National runners.
Monbeg Genius is among the favourites to win the £500,000 annual Aintree steeplechase.
But his inclusion in a list of 87 potential runners and riders sparked fury as Mone and Doug Barrowman have had their assets frozen amid a probe into an alleged £200million PPE fraud.
Monbeg Genius, a wedding gift from the Tory peer, 52, to Barrowman, 58, is joint third favourite with William Hill at 16/1.
The horse is trained by Jonjo O’Neill and has been given the green light to run by the British Horseracing Authority.
TalkSPORT’s racing correspondent Rupert Bell insisted: “If their assets have been frozen, the horse is clearly an asset.
“This is far from an ideal look for racing, to have the possibility of Michelle Mone’s horse winning the National.
“The BHA need to get a grip on this.”
A racing insider said: “If there are areas of uncertainty, it should not be allowed to run.”
In a comment for industry bible The Racing Post, Peter Scargill wrote: “The prospect of these two individuals lifting the National trophy should make racing cringe.
“Let’s just hope Monbeg Genius doesn’t go on to win.”
At a lunch in Liverpool yesterday where the weights for the April 13 race were announced, O’Neill said he had “no opinion” on the controversy and added: “I will train the horse to the best of my ability.”
The National Crime Agency is probing Mone and Barrowman over claims of fraud and bribery connected to the supply to the government of allegedly unusable Covid PPE facemasks and gowns worth £200million.
The couple, who deny wrongdoing, have had £75million in assets frozen including their Isle of Man home and Coutts bank accounts.
A source said they would not attend the National “to avoid the cameras”.
A racing source said the BHA “retained the power” to pull Monbeg Genius if new information came to light.
Bravemansgame was axed last year after a business belonging to its owner John Dance was shut by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The BHA said: “Horses in the ownership of Barrowman Racing Ltd are not affected by the restraint order and are therefore permitted to continue to race.”
A representative for Mone and Barrowman was asked to comment.