The English Premier League club owner chasing Golden Eagle glory

A multi-billionaire owner of an English Premier League club who made his fortune from gambling is taking a punt on his horse heading to the other side of the world and upstaging rivals in the $10 million Golden Eagle.

Tony Bloom was regarded as one of the world’s best poker players – he was nicknamed “The Lizard” because he remained so cold-blooded when other players buckled under pressure – and later bought his beloved Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.

While football will always be his first love, Bloom has become heavily involved in horse racing, to the point that Lake Forest, a four-year-old chestnut colt, will become his first runner in Australia.

The $5.25 million first prize for winning the Golden Eagle would barely register on Bloom’s bank balance: the 54-year-old is worth around $2.5 billion.

Bloom is married to an Australian but is unlikely to head to Rosehill for Saturday’s race, with Brighton travelling to Anfield to face Premiership high-flyers Liverpool this weekend.

Just last month, it was reported that Bloom was also weighing up investing in Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian.

Lake Forest’s owner Tony Bloom at a Brighton home game earlier this year.Credit: Getty Images

Trainer William Haggas, a proud Burnley fan, said “Mr Bloom” was only too happy for Lake Forest to be sent to Sydney.

Haggas, who also said he preferred cricket to football – he once played a match against a young Australian batsman by the name of David Boon – is well known to Australian punters after successful hit-and-run trips with horses like Addeybb, Protagonist, Dubai Honour and Post Impressionist.

“Mr Bloom is a very busy man,” Haggas said. “He is very enthusiastic about his horses but also keeps a very low profile.

“He loves Brighton more than his horses, but he’s got five or six horses with us now, and he’s starting to invest quite heavily. We’ve done OK for him at the moment.

The four-year-old chestnut has never run the Golden Eagle trip of 1500m.Credit: Jesica Hromas/SMH

“Mr Bloom has advisers, and I put the idea of taking Lake Forest to Australia in their heads. They came back and said, ‘It’s up to you’. I told them, ‘Great’, but I got the wobbles, only for them to tell me to just get on with it.

“He has never run 1500m, but the lure of $10 million, that’s what pricked our ears.

“In the past I’ve made sure I haven’t brought horses when they are too young. I’m going off-piste here. But I like the horse a lot. He’s a tough, nuggety, don’t-give-a-shit type of horse. He’s still a baby, but don ’t underestimate him.”

Lake Forest is not the biggest horse but has a beautiful coat and has enjoyed the warmer weather at Canterbury, the inner-western Sydney track where he has been quarantining for the past couple of weeks.

Tony Bloom competes at the 2007 Aussie Millions Poker Championships at Crown Casino, Melbourne.Credit: Getty Images

Irish jockey Cieren Fallon – the son of Kieran Fallon, who competed in several Melbourne spring carnivals – will head to Australia next week to ride Lake Forest. Fallon’s only previous ride on Lake Forest did not go to script.

“The horse was in a bad mood that day,” Haggas said. “It was never Cieren’s fault. Cieren was champion apprentice twice; he’s had a couple of injuries, which have slowed him down a bit of late, but he rode a group 1 winner for us not long ago, and he’s got talent.”

Lake Forest’s six starts to date have all been over 1200m, which begs the question of whether he can run the extra 300m.

Haggas said the horse had been strong at the end of all his races and his breeding suggested he would have no issues with the distance. He was due to run in a 1400m race in August, where he was favourite, but got one of his legs caught in the barriers and had to be scratched.

“He needs fast ground. He’s been plagued by the conditions at home, and every time the right race has come around, the ground has been [unsuitable],” Haggas said. “I’m hoping the weather is settling in Sydney. I’m just delighted we get to take part next weekend.”

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