Michael Owen, the former Liverpool forward and England star, has shared insights into his unique post-football business venture. At his Manor House Stables, he houses nearly 150 racehorses, with many famous figures from the world of football and beyond as owners.
One of the most successful investors has been James Milner. According to Owen, his former Liverpool teammate has struck gold with his horse acquisitions.
In a light-hearted interview with FourFourTwo, Owen joked:
James is the luckiest owner. Every horse he buys turns into a superstar and then sells for a massive sum.
He has had six horses here, with the most expensive costing around £80,000, and the cheapest sale netting £360,000.
In addition to Milner, the ownership at Owen's stables includes Sir Alex Ferguson, Anthony Gordon, and a number of former England players.
For instance, Steve McManaman, Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves, and Andy Townsend collectively purchased a horse named Box To Box.
The name isn’t coincidental. All four have served as experts on BT Sport, with most of them having played central midfielders who covered vast areas of the pitch.
Owen remarked:
He’s seven years old now and has already won six races.
The ownership roster also includes stars from other sports. Darts professionals Luke Littler and Stephen Bunting own a horse named Bunting Mental.
Owen is so passionate about horse racing that he can recall the lineage and results of almost every horse in his stable.
The former footballer admitted:
I can name them all – each owner, the mother and father of each horse, and all the race results. I’m a proper fan of this sport.
One of his promising horses is named Balon d’Or, in honour of the award he won in 2001. However, he later realised he had made a mistake in spelling the award's name.
The story of Manor House Stables dates back to his football career. At just 23, while playing for Liverpool, he bought land near Chester and gradually transformed a regular farm into a major training complex.
Today, the estate spans around 170 acres, employing about 50 staff, with Owen’s total investment reaching approximately £13 million.
The business model is straightforward: Owen purchases promising horses at auctions, then sells them to new owners, who cover the monthly care and training costs.
In the coming weeks, he plans to spend an additional £2 to £3 million on acquiring around 40 horses.
Nevertheless, the former striker acknowledges that further investment will be required for the continued development of the complex.
To promote his venture, Owen has also agreed to feature in a six-part documentary series called Meet The Owens for Amazon Prime Video.
More than a decade after retiring from football, the Ballon d’Or winner remains hungry for victory. Only this time, it is race results rather than goals that ignite his passion, with his former football partners and rivals now owning championship-winning horses.
