Chester regular Marwan Koukash declared bankrupt and removed as a registered owner

The familiar silks of Marwan Koukash, the flamboyant owner famed for his passionate support of Chester races, will be absent from this week’s May meeting after he was declared bankrupt and removed as a registered owner. 

Koukash, 69, was once regarded as one of British racing’s leading forces and won 582 races from 2007 to 2022, enjoying success in both valuable handicaps and Group races. He often named his horses after his son Gabrial and they raced for leading trainers Kevin Ryan, David Nicholls, Mark Johnston, Ian Williams and Richard Fahey among others.

In racing, Koukash was particularly fond of Chester. He has had over a thousand runners at the track and recorded 97 wins. They included success in the track's feature event, the Chester Cup, four times in the ten years between 2008 and 2018 with Bulwark, Address Unknown, Suegioo and Magic Circle. He vowed to receive the trophy for the last win in nothing but his tie, although he ultimately kept his clothes on amidst the celebrations.

Koukash enjoyed plenty of success on the Roodee, notably in the Chester CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Palestinian-born businessman has a PhD in electrical engineering and was a lecturer at John Moores University for five years before he was appointed director of international business. He was the owner of hotels operated by Hilton, including the DoubleTree in Liverpool. He took over rugby league club Salford City Reds (now the Salford Red Devils) in 2013 and a year later he made public his ambitions to purchase a team in the Australian National Rugby League.

However, the big-spending owner filed for bankruptcy in June 2022 and an order was issued following a petition on behalf of creditors. He had his final runner in November and, having been made aware of the order, the BHA subsequently removed him as a registered owner. His case has since been taken on by insolvency advisors Moore Recovery. 

A spokesperson from the company said: "I am able to confirm that the date that the Bankruptcy Petition was presented was June 14, 2022. The Bankruptcy Order was granted on September 13, 2022. Mustafa Abdulali and Neil Dingley of Moore Recovery were appointed as joint trustees with effect from October 21, 2022."

The bankruptcy process typically lasts for a year and means Koukash's assets will be used to pay his outstanding debts.

The Companies House website lists Koukash as the former director of nine companies, all of which have been dissolved apart from the aforementioned Salford Red Devils, from which he resigned following a five-year stint in 2018.

Patrick Morris, who has trained for Koukash for more than a decade, is now also listed as the owner for ex-Koukash horse Reshoun, who is set to run in Friday's tote Chester Cup. Morris also owns Heart Of Soul, Street Life and Mancini, while Hot Team and Brian The Snail fall under the ownership of Conor Morris, the trainer's son.

Koukash was approached for comment by the Racing Post but did not respond.

Read more here:

Confirmed runners and riders for the Chester Cup on Friday 

Lingfield's Derby Trial card switched to all-weather with waterlogged turf course unraceable 

Leading owner Max McNeill splits with retained jockey Adrian Heskin and racing manager 

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