Leicester owner is mounting glory bid

LEICESTER CITY’S billionaire owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, one of the richest business tycoons in the Premier League, has been spending his spare change mounting a Royal Ascot challenge this week.

Sports Agenda revealed in March that Vichai had sent two horses to trainer Andrew Balding with the ambition of running them at the Royal meeting. He has bolstered that bid by buying five more Ascot-bound horses at the pre-meeting Goffs’ London Sale.

His horses cost him £400,000, £260,000, £300,000, £340,000 and £450,000. Tisbutadream runs today, Twin Star tomorrow, while the remaining trio of White fountain fairy, Night of Glory and Straight Right are in action on Friday. Added to that Ascot investment is the Balding-trained Beat The Bank, who is another runner today.

Together with the additional Goffs purchase of broodmare Baldovina for £300,000, Vichai spent £2.05million at the sales through his bloodstock agent Alastair Donald.

But the racing spend will be dwarfed by Leicester City’s expected transfer outlay this summer — with £100m being made available by the Thai duty free shops magnate for the right purchases. Hull City defender Harry Maguire has already been bought for £17m.

Vichai used Leicester’s director of football Jon Rudkin to investigate horse training options, before sending his original buys to Balding.