Ownership battle breaks out after Melbourne Cup hope remains in Australia

An ownership dispute has broken out between two syndicates after it was alleged the Australian joint-owners broke an agreement with a British group by permanently moving a horse from its British trainer to an Australian training partnership while the five-year-old was in the country.

An official complaint has been lodged with Racing Victoria (RV) stewards by Quantum Leap Racing, the British-based syndicate, against Jamie Lovett, a director of Australian Bloodstock, which last year purchased a 50 per cent share in the David Simcock-trained Rodrigo Diaz with the intention of targeting the Melbourne Cup.

A press release from Quantum Leap Racing announcing the part-sale of Rodrigo Diaz in August 2021 outlined how he would “stay in training in the UK with David Simcock” and that he would return to training in the northern hemisphere after running in Australia.