Kia Joorabchian has submitted an offer to buy Freemason Lodge, the long-term base of retiring trainer Sir Michael Stoute, the Amo Racing founder told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast on Tuesday.
Stoute brought a training career spanning more than five decades to an end when he saddled his final runner at Yarmouth last week and Joorabchian has now confirmed his ambition to purchase the yard in Newmarket from which Stoute sent out the majority of his 16 British Classic winners.
Joorabchian, whose spending spree at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale made headlines last month, already owns a yard in Lambourn, currently home to Brazilian-born trainer Raphael Freire, but now finds himself in the market for a bigger base to accomodate his expanding team.
“We have a training yard at the moment in Lambourn,” said Joorabchian. “It holds 37 boxes, it's a relatively small operation, and we've been operating there for two years. Now, we're actively looking for something that is a little bit more appropriate to the size that we're becoming.
“[Freemason Lodge] is definitely something that we are considering and looking at quite closely. It's something that would be an honour to be a part of. It has such a great history with Sir Michael Stoute and such a great reputation as a yard. I think any yard of that nature is very rare.
“These yards in Newmarket on the Bury Road don't come up very often and it's been under the same trainer for many years. It has had wonderful success, multiple Derby winners, and the location is in a perfect place. You come out and you're right there on the gallops.
“The yard is beautifully structured and I think it would be of benefit to anyone who took it over–it would be an honour for anybody who takes it over from such an incredible man.”
He added, “We've made an offer and that offer needs to get accepted. I don't want to jump the gun. Being in sports, people always say to me 'the transfer for this player is done', but it's never done until the boy is wearing the shirt and playing on the pitch. That's the way I look at things.
“But as I said, Sir Michael's yard is one of the greatest yards, from a historic point of view and from the number of incredible winners that he has produced. It is very well managed and he's had incredible staff working there for many, many years. They've all been very loyal to him.
“I'd like to make sure that if we do get it, we manage to keep that reputation and history alive. That would be my aim if we do get it and if we don't then we will definitely be in the market to find something else.”
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