THE mystery billionaire behind Frankie Dettori’s Gold Cup winner is the same man who placed the black robe on Lionel Messi after he won the World Cup.
King and Queen Camilla weren’t the only royal winners on Thursday after it was revealed that Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami is owned by the Emir of Qatar.
Lionel Messi of Argentina is presented with a traditional robe by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
The King and Queen Camilla celebrated their first Royal Ascot winner with Desert Hero’s last-gasp win in the King George V Stakes, sparking emotional scenes.
But it turns out a monarch had already been successful at Royal Ascot this week, as Wathnan Racing’s owner is Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Wathnan Racing are new to British shores but have had just three runners thus far, all at Royal Ascot.
They’ve made a huge impact and are clearly not afraid to spend the big bucks.
Courage Mon Ami provided the departing Frankie Dettori with another Gold Cup, but the legendary Italian also rode Gregory to success in the same colours in Wednesday’s Queen’s Vase.
The owner could’ve had a hat-trick as Isaac Shelby finished a staying-on fourth in the St James’s Palace on Tuesday.
All three horses were bought from established owners, including Anthony Oppenheimer, who owned Courage Mon Ami for his first three starts.
ReutersCourage Mon Ami surges to success under Frankie Dettori[/caption]
Sheikh Tamim is the fourth son of previous monarch Hamad bin Khalifa and took over as head of state in 2013, when his father abdicated the throne.
He’s no stranger to success at the highest level in sport, as he owns French footballing powerhouse PSG through Qatar Sports Investment.
Qatar also hosted the World Cup last year and Lionel Messi finally won the with Argentina in one of the sport’s greatest ever finals.
Messi wore a traditional Arab robe as he lifted the trophy, which was gifted by Sheikh Tamim.
Sheikh Tamim is estimated to be worth around £1.6billion alone, but the ruling royal family’s collective worth is estimated at around £276bn.
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