- Numerous football stars have ownership in Seagulls Eleven
- Seagulls is the nickname of Brighton & Hove Albion
- UK gelding is rated a $26 chance with the TAB
A number of Premier League stars from Brighton & Hove Albion will be very interested in the staging of the Golden Eagle at Royal Randwick this Saturday, despite the time difference.
The reason? While the race over 1500m carries a whopping prize purse of $10million, a number of high-profile players have ownership in one of the runners, the aptly named Seagulls Eleven.
Among those with shares in the sprinter include veteran midfielder James Milner, captain Lewis Dunk and striker Danny Welbeck.
And as many football fans are aware, Brighton & Hove Albion are nicknamed the Seagulls.
Rated a $26 chance with the TAB, the UK gelding will need to produce a run for the ages to stun the field, but trainer Hugo Palmer – who will be trackside in Sydney – is quietly confident.
‘He travelled over great and hardly lost any weight at all,’ he told News Corp.
A number of Premier League stars from Brighton & Hove Albion will be very interested in the staging of the Golden Eagle at Royal Randwick this Saturday (pictured, veteran midfielder James Milner)
Striker Danny Welbeck is one of several Brighton stars who have ownership in Seagulls Eleven
Rated a $26 chance with the TAB, the UK-gelding will need to produce a run for the ages, but trainer Hugo Palmer – who will be trackside in Sydney – is quietly confident
The Golden Eagle jumps at 4.45pm AEDT on Saturday, and is the second-richest race in Australia, behind The Everest (pictured, Seagulls Eleven at the Newmarket track)
‘We couldn’t be happier with the way he has taken to his surroundings.’
In what could be an omen for the footballers, Lake Forest won the 2024 Golden Eagle.
The UK raider happens to be owned by Tony Bloom – the chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Tom Marquand has been tasked with riding Seagulls Eleven – and the jockey is no stranger to Randwick.
He is a three-time winner of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and has also previously ridden Seagulls Eleven under race conditions.
‘To be able to secure Tom was a big plus,’ Palmer said.
‘He feels at Randwick there is more of an emphasis on stamina, so that could suit us as well.’
Chris Waller’s Autumn Glow ($2.00) and the John O’Shea trained Linebacker ($6.00) look hard to beat, with $5.25 million in store for the winner.
The Golden Eagle jumps at 4.45pm AEDT, and is the second-richest race in Australia, behind The Everest.
Coverage is on Channel 7 and Sky Racing.
