Racing's super-rich owners in a race for Melbourne Cup glory
RACING is not just the sport of kings, it's also the realm of royal families, billionaires, and an English football great - who all want our greatest prize.
RACING is not just the sport of kings. If Tuesday's Melbourne Cup is any guide, racing is also the realm of royal families, billionaires, a duchess, a refugee-turned sporting team owner and an English Premier League star.
The owners lining up for their chance to win the race that stops a nation are a who's who of heavyweights whose fortunes reach astronomical heights.
But, despite their success, they are all on the same level this week when they come together with one thing in common - conquering the world's greatest staying contest.
From multi-millionaire adman John Singleton, whose $355 million personal wealth pales in comparison to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's $4.5 billion family fortune, the Melbourne Cup is not just for the rich, it's for the super rich.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Cup hope: Royal Empire
Wealth: $4.5 billion
When he's not a global horseracing and breeding magnate, the Sheikh is the Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
Well known in Australia as the owner of Darley Stud, the world's largest horse breeding operation, he also runs the Godolphin empire, from where his latest Melbourne Cup hope Royal Empire has emerged.
Sheikh Mohammed also hosts the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse, which is worth more than US$27 million and run at the stunning Meydan racecourse.
In his spare time he relaxes aboard his 162m long, 115-person capacity The Dubai Yacht. But it's only the second largest yacht in the world, because having the largest would be ostentatious.
His Highness The Aga Khan
Cup hope: Verema
Net worth: Anywhere between $800 million-$3 billion
Forbes describes the Aga Khan, whose family are direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, as one of the world's 10 richest royals, despite not presiding over a geographic territory.
His fortune is thanks to the payments some of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims make to him each year. The philanthropist spends more than $600 million of that a year on charitable causes around the world.
But that doesn't stop him owning a private tropical island in the Bahamas, an exclusive yacht club on Sardinia, two Bombardier jets, several estates around the world, a $170 million high-speed yacht named after his prize racehorse Alamshar, as well as hundreds of racehorses and valuable stud farms.
"His Highness the Aga Khan is delighted to have his first ever runner in the Melbourne Cup," his representative George's Rimaud said of Verema. "Her trainer ... believes she has the right profile to be competitive in this race, so His Highness decided to let her take her chance."
Dato' Tan Chin Nam
Cup hope: Precedence
Wealth: $2.5 billion
The Malaysian entrepreneur is famous in Australia for his close ties with the maestro, Bart Cummings. He has won the Melbourne Cup and handful of times, including with back-to-back winner Think Big in 1974-75, Saintly and Viewed.
He has owned a share in almost all of the Bart-trained runners of the past 30 years, but Dato upset his old friend when he sold a controlling interest in two-time Cox Plate champion So You Think to Coolmore, the day after his third placing in the 2010 Melbourne Cup.
It was the last time we saw So You Think race on our shores and despite retaining a share in the now-retired stallion, the deal was reportedly worth upwards on $60 million.
The 86-year-old has retired, leaving his multi-billion dollar business to a new generation, but is still involved in family property development and is one of Malaysia's richest men.
Marwan Koukash
Cup hope: Mount Athos
Wealth: $900 million
No one could begrudge Koukash raising the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday with last year's fifth placegetter Mount Athos.
Koukash fled Palestine with his family when he was nine and spent three years in a refugee camp in Jordan before moving to England.
He gained an engineering degree in Liverpool, became a professor and started a corporate training and property business that has earned him his fortune, which The Times rich list last year valued at $900 million.
Six years ago he had never set foot on a racetrack. Today he owns more than 100 horses and one in particular, Mount Athos, could give the Melbourne Cup its first refugee winner.
Koukash's love of sport has expanded. This year he bought the Salford City Reds rugby league club and he is looking to purchase an English football club, revealing recently he was in talks with Oldham Athletic.
Lloyd Williams
Cup hopes: Fawkner, Green Moon, Sea Moon, Seville, Masked Marvel and Mourayan
Wealth: $700 million
There's a reason Williams is a chance of having six Melbourne Cup runners - Forbes Asia lists his fortune at $700 million, derived from investments and property development.
Williams does it for the love of racing, because the $3.6 million prizemoney he received for winning the Cup last year with Green Moon wouldn't hardly cover the impost of preparing an army of gallopers for tilts at the great race.
He has also previously won with Efficient (2007) and What a Nuisance (1985) and Just a Dash (1981).
John Singleton
Cup hope: Dear Demi
Wealth: $355 million
The multi-millionaire entrepreneur made his money as an advertising guru in the 1970s and 80s. Now the successful businessman, who the BRW Rich List estimates his fortune at $355 million, is a major player in radio broadcasting, among other interests, but it's his love of horse racing he's most known for now.
The owner-breeder enjoyed great success with More Joyous, his stable favourite who retired this year and was sent to stud with unbeaten English superhorse Frankel. His next big thing could be Dear Demi, who won The Oaks last year and ran third in this year's Caulfield Cup.
Never shy of having a bet, Singo is set for a $10 million windfall if Dear Demi wins the Melbourne Cup, thanks to the $3.6 million first prizemoney and a monster bet of $100,000 at average odds of 66-1.
Michael Owen
Cup hope: Brown Panther
Wealth: $60 million
The former England striker has won a Uefa Cup, FA Cup and English Premier League title with English giants Liverpool and Manchester United, and hopes to add a Melbourne Cup trophy to his mantelpiece with Brown Panther.
At the peak of his career, the one-time Real Madrid star was considered one of the premier strikers in the world and was earning $186,000 a week.
Neil Werrett
Cup hope: Foreteller
Wealth: Unknown
The owner of Black Caviar made his fortune in the finance industry. He was managing director of the Galileo Shopping America Trust before the company, with $2.7 billion worth of properties, was bought out in 2007.
Werrett is now the managing director of the Galileo Japan Trust, which owns $770 million worth of property in Tokyo and throughout the country.
The Australian's Werrett Bloodstock is listed as owning shares in more than 60 current and former racehorses, including two-time Group 1 winner and Cup hope Foreteller.
Recently retired mum-to-be Black Caviar earned almost $8 million in prizemoney during her 25-win unbeaten career and, since her little brother sold for an Australian record $5 million at the Inglis Sales in Sydney this year, Werrett can expect a tidy payday any time the owners decide to sell one of Black Caviar's progeny. He also had a share in Black Caviar's half-brother All Too Hard, who was sold to stud for $40 million.
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