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Michael Owen watched his locally-trained racehorse Brown Panther triumph in the $1m Dubai Gold Cup at the weekend.

But while the former footballer continues to enjoy a break away with his family, his star horse has been placed in isolation.

Trainer Tom Dascombe, based at Manor House Stables, Hampton, near Malpas, is ‘delighted’ with the win and says Michael is ‘thrilled’ but explained that Brown Panther, now home in Cheshire, is having to be kept apart from the other horses as a precaution.

“We’ve had to isolate him. He might go to Japan for his next race and there was a horse that returned to England from Dubai with a disease. We weren’t even in the country at the same time but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Brown Panther is co-owned by Michael Owen and Andrew Black, founder of Betfair. Michael flew out to Dubai for the race with his wife Louise and four children and have stayed on for a holiday.

Tom, who also at the race, said: “He (Michael) was thrilled. It’s lovely for him that he had his children there and his wife there and they were all able to enjoy the occasion together. It’s been his passion since he was a kid.”

He explained that Michael’s seven-year-old gelding had been the 9-2 favourite but in horse racing nothing could ever be taken for granted.

“We took him to Canada and he bolted before the start and never ran. It’s a long way to go with a horse that’s not even going to take part,” he added, but said Brown Panther had been in the right mood for Saturday’s race.

“We got a pony to lead him to the start of the race because keeping him relaxed has been an issue in the past,” explained Tom, who said the horse was drawn wide at position 14.

Brown Panther's owners Andrew Black and Michael Owen with trainer Tom Dascombe receiving the Gold Cup in Dubai

“That’s not great because you have actually got to manoeuvre the horse to find the position, whereas if you’re drawn at 4, 5 or 6, you can just pop out and sit there,” he continued.“ After a furlong he was travelling well in behind in the leader, sitting in second, we were very confident after that. He found a good position to sit in without any effort and it looked quite promising from there.”

Tom’s response to the win was more relief than anything. “You have spent three months trying to get him right for the race. You have got a lot of travel involved. You have got to keep him healthy and sound. It was a race we expected to win so at the end of it, it’s mainly relief but also delight.”

And the $1m prize money is not to be sniffed at. The owner receives 80%, the jockey 10%, the trainer 7% and the back-room staff 3%. Sitting in his four-wheel drive on a tour of the stables, Tom accepts the Dubai Gold Cup may not be the ultimate race but he’s more than happy. “It may not be as prestigious as the Ascot Gold Cup, but it’s quite a lot more money!” he joked.

Brown Panther has twice won at Chester Races and last September romped home in the Irish St Leger. The key to good training? “Having a good horse,” replied Tom, although he acknowledged the role of winning jockey Richard Kingscote who was riding the gallops when The Chronicle visited. “He’s good at his job.”

Dubai Gold Cup winning jockey Richard Kingscote training a horse at Manor House Stables on Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Manor House Stables is home to 28 staff and 80 horses including Snapshots belonging to Michael Owen’s former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Among the superb facilities is a plush bar where clients like Sir Alex can be entertained.

But the horses are pampered too. Apart from the stables and gallops there is a horse walker for animals recovering from back problems, a vibration pad to build muscle tone, a pool and vet centre, an ice spa for swollen limbs and even heat lamps to warm the beasts up afterwards.

“They get well looked after. A fit, healthy and happy horse should do well,” says Tom, who is proudly displaying the gold trainer's trophy at his home as a permanent reminder of the happy day.

Trainer Tom Dascombe with his gold cup trophy