ROYAL RACING DEAL — KING CHARLES AND QUEEN CAMILLA AGREE TO SELL RACEHORSE POINT OF LAW… AND THE TIMING IS RAISING EYEBROWS
The colt’s sale marks the end of a memorable but mixed summer for the royal couple
King Charles and Queen Camilla have sold their homebred racehorse Point Of Law to leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher in a deal that could yield a remarkable payday on the other side of the world.
The promising horse has been purchased for an undisclosed sum. Maher intends to target the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne this spring, one of Australia’s most prestigious staying races.
The contest carries a prize fund of roughly £3million making it among the richest races on the global calendar.
The colt’s sale marks the end of a memorable but mixed summer for the King and Queen.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have sold their homebred racehorse Point Of Law to leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher in a deal that could yield a remarkable payday on the other side of the world.
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Point Of Law came agonisingly close to delivering a historic royal triumph at Royal Ascot, only to be narrowly beaten in the Queen’s Vase with the King and Queen watching on.
The colt made amends in emphatic style weeks later, producing a commanding front-running display to claim the £200,000 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket in July.
Maher himself had been present at the royal meeting as a guest of the King, attending alongside his mother Eileen.
The Australian trainer clearly saw enough during that visit to pursue the horse, and the Bahrain Trophy performance only strengthened his conviction.
Previously handled by the father-and-son training partnership of John and Thady Gosden, Point Of Law now embarks on an entirely new chapter.
John Warren, the King’s racing and bloodstock adviser, confirmed the transaction and expressed the royal couple’s enthusiasm for what lies ahead.
“I’m sure Their Majesties will derive great pleasure following Point of Law’s continued career in Australia,” Warren told Australian outlet The Straight. “Like all owner-breeders, the majority of their colts eventually do get sold on, and the King and Queen will be wishing Ciaron Maher and the new owners the best of luck for an exciting future ahead.”
Before making the journey to Australia, the colt will be moved to Newmarket trainer Harry Eustace’s yard to complete the mandatory pre-quarantine process.
Once those preparations are finalised, Point Of Law will be flown to join Maher’s operation, where a syndicate of owners awaits his arrival.
Will Bourne, Maher’s head of bloodstock, explained the rationale behind the acquisition, highlighting the horse’s untapped potential.
“One of the main reasons he was so appealing for the stable to acquire is that he’s so lightly raced and still very progressive,” Bourne said. “With horses like him, you never quite know where the ceiling is or when they’ll stop improving and reach their peak rating.”
