While it’s often the horses, jockeys and trainers in the spotlight, owners are somewhat overlooked in the role they play in shaping the success stories of the flat season.
From the small syndicates that resonate with punters, to the global powerhouses with deep reserves of talent, who are regular favourites in the Royal Ascot tips, owners’ influence in any sphere of racing is impossible to ignore.
With 2025 shaping up to be another exciting season, here are four owners whose colours will likely be regularly carried to big-race glory at major meetings like the Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot.
Coolmore
One of the biggest operations in the world, Coolmore have bases worldwide, with state-of-the-art yards in North America, Australia, and Ireland.
Their headquarters is in the latter, with master trainer Aidan O’Brien the frontman at Ballydoyle in County Tipperary.
Coolmore’s bosses are no strangers to winning big, with an eye-watering number of victories in Group 1 races and Classics.
They have an exciting array of talent sent to be turned out by O’Brien in Britain and Ireland in the coming months, including The Lion In Winter, Twain and Exactly.
It was a slow start to the flat racing season proper, as O’Brien and Moore failed to win either of the first Classics with Expanded and Lake Victoria in the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, respectively.
However, Coolmore can’t be ruled out and major wins could be just around the corner – including in the prestigious Derby, as The Lion In Winter, who missed the 2000 Guineas due to a lack of fitness, is the favourite, while Lake Victoria could bounce back in the Oaks after fitness concerns of her own in the build-up to the 1000 Guineas.
Godolphin
From one major operation to another, Godolphin are also a global powerhouse with yards in the United States, Japan, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
His Highness Sheik Mohammed entrusts Charlie Appleby to be the face of the operation in the United Kingdom, and the trainer does an admirable job at Moulton Paddocks.
Often contenders for the big races, Appleby and Godolphin will be on the hunt for more major successes this year.
They’ve started the season incredibly, completing a double in the aforementioned 2000 and 1000 Guineas with Ruling Court and Desert Flower – who now both have big chances in the Derby and Oaks.
The first weekend of May was historic for Godolphin on sides of the pond, as they completed an unprecedented sweep of both Guineas and the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.
“For Sheikh Mohammed to win the Guineas double, the Kentucky Oaks, the Kentucky Derby, I can’t put it into words,” top jockey William Buick said in the aftermath of Desert Flower’s win the 1000 Guineas.
“It’s been an amazing weekend for everybody, it’s what dreams are made of. Sheikh Mohammed has put so much into the sport and he’s been rewarded this weekend.”
Wathnan Racing
A new operation making waves in the United Kingdom, Emir of Qatar-backed Wathnan Racing upset the applecart when having a remarkable debut season in Britain last year.
The new boys on the block made big moves in their first campaign, appointing Qatar’s leading trainer, Hamad Al-Jehani, at their Newmarket base and purchasing some talented horses.
It worked in their favour, as Wathnan Racing enjoyed 34 wins from 181 runs in their maiden season—including four wins at Royal Ascot, where they finished second to Coolmore in the owner standings.
Wathnan’s first noteable win of the campaign came in the Listed Conqueror Fillies’ Stakes with four-year-old Crimson Advocate at Goodwood, who pipped Betty Clover by a nose at the post for father-son trainers John and Thady Gosden.
One of their other horses to keep an eye out for this season is Courage Mon Ami, who will be hoping to regain the prestigious Ascot Gold Cup from Kyprios.
Amo Racing
Football super-agent Kia Joorabchian is another owner who isn’t afraid to challenge the established order with his Amo Racing operation.
Amo, whose purple silks often stand out in a race, had something of a drop last year when only picking up 27 wins and less than £800,000 in prize money—almost £2 million down from 2023.
However, Joorabchian has spent big in the off-season, notably purchasing 25 horses at Europe’s biggest sale in October and outspending Godolphin on one of three days.
With the help of Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and Al Shaqab, their remarkable purchases include a 4.3 million guineas Frankel filly and 4.3m guineas Wooton Bassett colt.
Amo are another who picked up a win in Goodwood Racecourse’s opening fixture of the season, with four-year-old Mr Hampstead picking up a first career win on his seventh attempt in a Class 4 Handicap under Rossa Ryan.
