FOR Michelle Mone, it has always been boom – and quite a bit of bust.
Things are no different now she has stepped into the horseracing world after buying an £80,000 runner and sending him to a Grand National-winning trainer.
Jonjo O’Neill, who won the 2010 Ainthree showpiece with AP McCoy on Don’t Push It, is the man tasked with turning Baroness Mone of Mayfair’s dream into reality.
And the Scottish entrepreneur will have high hopes for the horse she bought for her husband Doug Barrowman as a second wedding present in November 2020.
Dubbed the ‘First Lady of lingerie’, Mone has a habit of making a success of investments – although with earnings of £13,319 from five runs it appears there is some way to go yet with Monbeg Genius.
But success in racing, unlike the cut-throat world of business, can be a bit of a slow burner.
Mone, who is thought to be worth around £20million, became a prominent public figure with the huge success of Ultimo, the underwear company she started in 1996 that turned her into a millionaire at just 25.
When their bras hit Selfridges in London, six months’ worth of stock sold out in just three hours.
Julia Roberts wore one of Ultimo’s bras en route to winning an Oscar for her role in hit film Erin Brockovich.
Rod Stewart’s supermodel ex-wife Rachel Hunter became the face of the brand and Kelly Brook dazzled in glitzy photoshoots wearing very little other than the company’s bras.
Abbey Clancy, Stewart’s current wife Penny Lancaster and even Katie Price all modelled Ultimo undies.
She and then-husband Michael expanded the business into MJM International, which was worth £39m at its peak.
All in all, not too bad for a girl from the East End of Glasgow who left school at 15 with no qualifications.
Years of incredible success followed before Mone left Ultimo in 2015, after it was taken over by a Sir Lankan firm who, in 2018, closed the company down.
Since then, Mone has gone onto launch a jewellery line, interior styling business, property venture in Dubai and moved into the world of cryptocurrency.
And she’s done it all while looking to enjoy a life luxury which included idyllic holidays on faraway beaches and ski slopes.
But back at home, it appeared Mone had ambitions of joining the likes of other business titans such as Rich Ricci and Ged Mason with big success in racing to be her next big thing.
She even introduced her ‘newest member of the our family’ to her 113,000 Instagram followers and posted a video of him again after he won at Ffos Las in October 2021.
Writing alongside a photo of the horse soon after buying him, Mone said: “This gorgeous horse was a second wedding gift for my husband, Doug, and we are delighted with him.
“I want to say the warmest of thank-yous to the legendary @jonjooneillracing, his wife Jacquie and his son AJ for guiding us through this process. Jonjo is an amazingly charming man who was patient throughout, whilst his son, as demonstrated in the video, is a very talented jockey too!
“We are so excited about Monbeg Genius being a part of the family, and we are looking forward to him starring in tartan in the weeks to come!”
Monbeg Genius backed up his promise when winning at Chepstow in March this year.
However, he came last on his seasonal reappearance at Aintree last month, his first run since a wind op.
It means Mone, 51, whose home was raided by police investigating pandemic PPE contracts from the Government earlier this year, and Knox Group founder husband Doug, 57, will have to wait to see him back in the winners’ enclosure.
But at least they can bide their time in style.
The couple are reported to have a 180ft superyacht and split their time between seven homes, which they can get to by private jet or in one of the 18 cars they are believed to own.
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Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
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