- Givemefive made a successful stable debut for Harry Derham last month
- The four-year-old followed up with an impressive win at Warwick on Monday
- He carries the colours of Smash Racing, a syndicate that includes the golf stars
Golf stars Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka could have a shot at another major success – this time in horse racing.
The pair are co-owners of highly-rated Givemefive, who is set to contest the JCB Trumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The four-year-old made a successful stable debut for Harry Derham at Market Rasen last month.
And he followed up with an impressive win at Warwick on Monday, with McDowell and Koepka watching the race in Florida.
Givemefive carries the colours of Smash Racing, a syndicate that includes a 2010 US Open winner McDowell and five-time major champion Koepka.
Golf stars Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka are co-owners of highly-rated Givemefive
Smash Racing syndicate includes five-time major champion Koepka (L) and 2010 US Open winner McDowell (R)
Smash Racing is also the name as the LIV Golf team that Koepka captains.
Trainer Harry Derham revealed a challenge with McDowell during a Pro-Am contest led to him getting the two golfing stars on board.
He told Racing TV: ‘I’ve known Graeme for a long time and the conversation about owning a racehorse came about at a Pro-Am event.
‘He said if I got closer to the pin than him then he would buy a horse and I somehow managed to get it within a few feet of it and beat him.
‘Graeme then got the other guys involved and they are both very engaged in all the conversations about the horse on WhatsApp.’
With Koepka’s friend Daniel Gambill also an owner, Givemefive made a successful debut for his new connections at Market Rasen last month and was a 2-1 shot to follow up in the Hazelton Mountford Insurance Brokers Juvenile Hurdle.
Derham had been eyeing the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle prior to his second jumping start, but he will also have to look at the Triumph Hurdle following a dominant 18-length victory in the hands of Paul O’Brien.
‘I thought he had improved, but I was not expecting that,’ Derham said.
‘He was carrying a penalty against smart horses, but he is obviously a smart horse.
‘He is a real professional little horse. Graeme, Brooks and Daniel are great guys and they were all watching the race in Florida. My WhatsApp has been going mad with messages after that.’
