Jeremy Clarkson-Owned Horse, The Hawkstonian, Is a Winner

by Roy Brindley, 3 February 2026

Jeremy Clarkson has become the latest British celebrity to enjoy success as a racehorse owner.

Jeremy Clarkson declared he was going to “celebrate with a beer” after The Hawkstonian had scored at Ffos Las. © Getty Images

Key Facts:

• Racehorse named after Jeremy Clarkson’s brewery wins for his celeb owner at Ffos Las.
• Post-race comments from the winning rider suggest The Hawkstonian can win again.
• Clarkson joins a long line of celebrity owners involved in jumps racing.

Jeremy Clarkson, host of ITV’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and the star of his own Prime Video documentary series, Clarkson’s Farm, has joined the list of successful celebrity jumps racing racehorse owners.

The former Top Gear presenter had to wait over a year for The Hawkstonian, owned by the Hawkstone Racing syndicate (fronted by the 65-year-old star), to cross the line ahead. The Irish-bred horse had raced on five previous occasions before landing his maiden victory.

Trained by Ben Pauling and ridden by jockey Ben Jones – a partnership that won Boxing Day’s King George VI Chase with The Jukebox Man – The Hawkstonian’s success at Ffos Las Racecourse was something of a surprise. The UK’s bookmakers returned the six-year-old at a 15/2 starting price.

Drinks Are on the Winning Rocket

Now, the six-year-old, named after Hawkstone Brewery, which uses barley grown at Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm to make its larger, has an official handicap mark. And future victories may be in store if post-race comments by the winning jockey are taken literally.

“He’s an absolute rocket at home. He’s gone to the track and disappointed us a little bit, I think it’s just taken a while for the penny to drop,” Jones told Sky Sports Racing when unsaddling The Hawkstonian.

“He had a tongue strap on for the first time today, which has played to his favour, and I think that wet, sloppy ground where you can get through it meant he hit the line strong, which he hasn’t been doing until today.”

Football Managers on the Score Sheet

Clarkson is the latest in a long list of celebrities who have become involved in racehorse ownership. Currently enjoying the most success is former Premier League football manager Harry Redknapp.

The 2018 winner of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, who made a 2021 cameo appearance in EastEnders and is a brand ambassador for BetVictor, is the owner of the 2025 King George VI victor, The Jukebox Man.

Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is a part-owner of around 30 horses. He enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success in 2024 when Monmiral and Protektorat scored on the same day. He entered Cheltenham’s winner circle again in 2025 courtesy of Caldwell Potter.

Acting Royalty and Funny Men

In partnership with friends, including Sir Alex Ferguson, actress Dame Judi Dench has enjoyed success in jumps racing. Likewise, rugby star Mike Tindall, Spice Girl Geri Horner (née Halliwell) and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood.

The best known of all celebrity-owned National Hunt horses is Miinnehoma. The Cheltenham Festival winner, who finished third in the fabled Gold Cup, raced in the colours of comedian Freddie Starr when winning the 1994 Grand National.