Legendary owner behind racing’s ultimate rags-to-riches tale quits sport for good after one final big winner

A LEGENDARY racehorse owner behind the sport’s ultimate rags-to-riches tale has confirmed he is quitting the game for good.

But only after he landed one final massive winner.

Darren Yates hit the big time when he put his last £62 on Frankie Dettori winning seven races at Ascot in 1996.

He watched on in disbelief a few hours later when the iconic Italian completed his Magnificent Seven, landing Yates a £550,000 cheque.

Shrewd Yates turned that windfall into an estimated £20million net worth, encompassing property and his beloved racehorses.

But almost 30 years after that life-changing win, he says he will be out come the end of this National Hunt season.

Only after landing one final massive winner, though.

Yates has sold unbeaten superstar novice hurdler The New Lion to superowner JP McManus for a rumoured £1m.

The Dan Skelton-trained six-year-old landed his first Grade 1 with ridiculous ease last month when cruising home on the bridle in the Challow.

He is 5-2 favourite for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle – so it seems crazy that Yates would choose to sell up now.

But he admitted his passion for the sport, after all these years and millions of pounds invested, was sadly on the wane.

And come the start of next season he and wife Annaley don’t anticipate their black silks being seen on any of the country’s racecourses.

Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily podcast, Yates said: “At the start of the season, Annaley and I made a decision really that we were thinking of getting out of racing altogether.

“Different things in our lives, grandkids – times change.

“Because I’ve sold The New Lion, by the end of the season I’ll be out totally.

“The experience of the day is amazing and winning a Grade One was amazing, but they’re very short-lived when you look at all the other things you have to put up with in racing.

“I think the owners are never looked after properly. I would think once I’m out, I’m out.

“You spend a lifetime looking for a horse like The New Lion, but I just don’t see the value in it – I’m not sure where the sport will end up.”

Expect him to still keep an eye on the results though, due to the ‘bonus interest’ he has retained in The New Lion.

A stickler for detail, Yates confirmed the cash will keep rolling in due to the agreement he struck with McManus.

So long as the horse is successful.

Yates added: “The deal massively suits JP and massively suits me.

“I’m not going to go into it obviously, because JP wanted to keep it private, which is great with me, but it does give me an interest in the horse moving forward as well.

“Let’s call it a bonus interest, depending on what he does in the future.”

If this is the end, it’s a great way to go out.

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