Former Rangers star Ryan Kent may be without a club – but it hasn’t stopped him spending a whopping fee on his passion away from the pitch.
The winger, who had his contract with Turkish giants Fenerbahce ripped up last month after making just 19 appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side, has splashed out 200,000gns on a thoroughbred racehorse – bred by Ryanair owner Michael O’Leary’s Plantation Stud, reports The Racing Post. It’s not the first time that the 28-year-old – who spent more than four seasons at Ibrox playing over 200 games – has spent big money on a horse, having paid a whopping £145,000 for one considered a Royal Ascot favourite last year.
Kent was bidding through agent Daniel Creighton of Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock, who commented: “She’s been bought to race. Obviously Mehmas is flying this year and she’s out of a Lope De Vega mare, which is the same cross as Persian Force and Gubbass. That’s worked before and she’s out of a black-type mare too. She’s a lovely physical, a nice, well-grown filly, so it made a lot of sense.” On the price tag, which equates to around £300,000, Creighton added: “You’d expect to have to pay that when the stallion is so proven and given her pedigree. If I bred a foal like that I’d be disappointed if I didn’t reach those sorts of heights!”
And his agent explained that the wide-man is someone who puts plenty of effort into researching his buys, continuing: “He loves the sales and is very into his pedigrees,” he said. “He’s very involved in looking at videos and pictures online. I always tell vendors, especially as a lot don’t put pictures and videos up, that they don’t realise how important it is. He’s spent a lot of money so we’re hoping we’re in for a good year next year, he’s got some nice prospects. He’s got half-brothers to Marshman and El Caballo going into training. He’s got a nice Sea The Stars filly in France who’s a half-sister to Stanhope Gardens. He uses Karl Burke mostly, he’d be the main trainer.”
Previously Creighton had described Kent as “mad into racing” and revealed that he was investing further in the Sport of Kings, saying: “He has a couple of mares with us and he’s mad into his racing. He’ll go to a pre-trainer now but there’ll be no decision made about a trainer (for the Ascot tip) until later on as the owner will probably have a say in where the horse goes into training.”