Kia Joorabchian ‘thrilled and honoured’ to land Freemason Lodge

Kia Joorabchian has confirmed that he hopes to complete the purchase of Freemason Lodge early next month.

The famous stables in Newmarket had been home to recently-retired trainer Sir Michael Stoute and the rumour mill had been swirling regarding who its new incumbent would be.

Joorabchian, whose horses run in the name of Amo Racing, has now come forward and said the deal is almost done.

The football agent set the Tattersalls Sales ring alight a few months ago when spending millions on several choicely-bred individuals and he hopes, along with trainer Raphael Freire, to be competing at the top table.

“We’re hoping to complete in the beginning of January and we’re very thrilled and honoured to have it,” he told the Charlie Fellowes and George Scott podcast Off The Bridle.

“We needed something like that because our situation in Lambourn was not very good for us anymore. It worked for the first couple of years when we were dipping our toes in the water and at this moment in time the operation has grown.

“We won’t really change the structure of the operation. We kept maybe 40 horses in Lambourn and we’ll keep maybe 50 at Freemason next year.

“We will continue with our group of trainers but Raphael has definitely grown out of Lambourn and we’ve been looking for a yard, it’s been no secret.

“When this opportunity arose, it was something we couldn’t turn down.”

Joorabchian is well aware that despite his huge outlay this year, he is not guaranteed immediate success.

“Godolphin have done an amazing job, Coolmore are one of, if not the best, operations in the world, Juddmonte are one of the best and Shadwell in previous years have been able to produce incredible homebreds as well,” he said.

“Sumbe, Nurlan Bizakov, are doing a great job in France and I realise these guys are way ahead of us at the moment, their breeding operations are not just years but tens of years ahead of us, so for us to compete at that level, we can’t be fooled into thinking we can compete in one or two years just because we’ve spent big.

“It means patience, it means getting our breeding right and having our broodmare band grow and having our own stallions get stronger.

“I think we’re on the right road but I definitely don’t think it will be done in one or two years, we’re going to grow slowly and, hopefully, organically now.

“I’m hoping we can show other people they can also do it.”