Premier League superstar and Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen chasing Melbourne Cup glory

Premier League superstar Michael Owen got a taste of the Melbourne Cup the year he retired, but now he wants more.

A Premier League superstar, Owen rose to fame at Liverpool, where he won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup and two League Cups.

Known for his speed and finishing ability, he won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 as the world’s best player, making him one of the few English players to receive the honour.

Later in his career, Owen played for Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City before retiring, finishing with a total of 150 Premier League goals.

He retired in 2013 and immediately invested in his love of thoroughbreds, leading Brown Panther to compete in the Melbourne Cup that year and finish a fighting eighth.

Now he’s returning Down Under for a speaking tour in November and the timing is no coincidence: he’s here to explore future opportunities to be part of the race that’s holding a nation back.

‘It was a great trip there, I spent four or five days in Melbourne and had a great time, so as soon as the opportunity arose to return to different places in Australia I thought that would be great, I have to go there back again,” he said Broad sports world.

Owen took his first horse to the Melbourne Cup the same year he retired in 2013

Owen returns to Australia in November and is eyeing a return to the biggest race of the year at Flemington

Owen was quickly introduced to the devastating lows that come with the racing industry’s dizzying highs, just two years after Brown Panther’s first Melbourne Cup.

Racing in the Irish St. Leger Group 1, Brown Panther suffered an injury to a hind leg and was sadly euthanized. It’s a moment that is still deeply burned into Owen’s memory.

“It’s the saddest day of my life,” he wrote at the time on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The toughest, most honest, most brilliant horse I will ever see died today doing what he loved most.

‘A shattered hind leg, which the Curragh first-class team deemed irreparable, ended his life.

‘I was with him when he was born, shared an experience for seven years that will never be repeated and gave him his last kiss goodbye.

‘What an honor to own and breed him. I love you Panther, life won’t be the same without you.’

Brown Panther was Owen’s first horse to compete in the Melbourne Cup, but sadly died two years later due to a racing injury

Owen now has a stable of more than 130 horses and hopes he will find another Melbourne Cup contender

However, that tragedy did not diminish Owen’s love for horses. He bought his first farm when he was 23 with a view to a career in the industry and now has 20 stables and more than 130 horses.

And he plans to discover the perfect animal to compete in the Melbourne Cup again.

“We haven’t had another competitor in the Melbourne Cup yet, but we’re always looking,” he said.

‘There are a lot of crossovers with Australian racing. A lot of your sprinters come to Royal Ascot and kick us in the back with the sprinting, but I still think we have the upper hand with our staying horses. You buy many of our staying horses for races like the Melbourne Cup.

‘My stable has sold one or two horses to Australian customers in the last ten years.

“We had an absolutely incredible time, I took my family, I took my parents and three friends to Melbourne for that race. Any excuse to get another runner in the race would be great.”