It’s crazy: Kia Joorabchian claims ‘nobody wants to hear the truth in horse racing’ hours after his interview was mysteriously deleted online amid a wave of criticism from fans
In the high-stakes world of British horse racing, where fortunes are made and lost on the turn of a hoof, few figures have stirred as much controversy as Kia Joorabchian. The Iranian-born football super-agent, known for brokering multimillion-pound deals involving stars like Philippe Coutinho and Tevez, has spent the past seven years transforming his passion for thoroughbreds into a powerhouse operation. Through Amo Racing, Joorabchian has splashed over £100 million on horses, stables, and partnerships, outbidding giants like Coolmore and Godolphin at auctions. Yet, on September 19, 2025, his bold foray into the sport’s underbelly ignited a firestorm, culminating in a deleted interview and a torrent of fan backlash that exposed deep fissures in racing’s secretive culture.
The drama unfolded mere hours after Joorabchian sat down for an explosive exclusive with The Sun’s Sam Morgan. In the wide-ranging discussion, the 54-year-old didn’t hold back, painting a damning portrait of an industry he now calls a “secret society” riddled with hypocrisy, exploitation, and willful blindness. “It’s insane,” Joorabchian declared, his voice laced with frustration. “Nobody wants to hear the truth in horse racing. There’s an unwritten rule: keep quiet, or get pushed out.” He accused the sport’s elite—trainers, media, and governing bodies—of enforcing an omertà-like silence on critical issues, from paltry wages for stable staff to unchecked mental health crises and even bizarre operational blunders.
Central to his revelations was a shocking anecdote about an “accidental gelding,” a procedure that renders a horse infertile and unfit for breeding. Joorabchian recounted how a promising colt in his stable was mistakenly castrated due to a mix-up in records—a gaffe that could cost millions in future value. “It was swept under the rug,” he said. “The trainer apologized privately, but publicly? Nothing. That’s the norm here. In football, this would be front-page news, investigations, heads rolling. In racing, it’s just another Tuesday.” Fans on X (formerly Twitter) erupted, with some hailing him as a whistleblower and others branding him a meddlesome outsider. “Kia’s finally saying what we’ve all whispered,” posted one user, @RacingInsiderUK, garnering over 5,000 likes. But detractors piled on: “This guy’s just bitter after sacking half the trainers in Newmarket,” sneered @OldSchoolPunter, echoing a narrative of Joorabchian as a ruthless disruptor.
The interview’s sudden vanishing act only fueled the conspiracy theories. Published online at midday, it was scrubbed from The Sun’s site by early evening, replaced with a cryptic “content under review” notice. Joorabchian, speaking to Racing TV shortly after, expressed bewilderment. “I woke up to messages asking where it went. Calls from the outlet saying ‘technical issues.’ Come on—this is racing. They don’t like daylight on the dirt.” Insiders whispered of pressure from powerful stakeholders, pointing to Joorabchian’s history of clashes. Just last month, he publicly feuded with trainer Ralph Beckett over a perceived “unfair” ITV Racing interview, where Beckett aired grievances about their split. And earlier this year, Joorabchian accused podcaster Nick Luck of “diverting” tough questions during a June sit-down, where he first aired grievances about low Epsom Derby attendance and stagnant prize money.
Joorabchian’s critique runs deeper than personal gripes. He lambasts the pay structure, where top owners and trainers rake in windfalls while the 7,000-strong workforce of stable lads and lasses scrap by on £500 weekly wages—barely enough for London’s skyrocketing rents. “These kids work 5 a.m. starts, seven days a week, breathing in ammonia fumes, and what do they get? No sick pay, no pensions, and when they crack under the pressure, it’s ‘move on,'” he fumed. Mental health support is another blind spot: suicides among racing staff hit a grim record of 12 last year, per British Horseracing Authority figures, yet counseling programs remain underfunded. “Big trainers preach morals on TV, but behind closed doors? Alcoholism, drugs—it’s rampant. And the media? They’re complicit. There’s a bias; they protect the establishment.”
His words strike a chord amid racing’s existential woes. Attendance at major fixtures like Epsom’s Derby plummeted 20% this summer, blamed on everything from streaming competition to post-Brexit labor shortages. Joorabchian, who invested £24 million in yearlings last autumn alone, sees salvation in American-style innovation: bigger purses, better marketing, and transparency. “Look at the U.S.—$2.5 million races for debutants. Here, we run blue-bloods for peanuts. Bookies pocket billions; give back to the tracks.” He’s poured his own cash into Freemason Lodge Stables in Newmarket, revamping Sir Michael Stoute’s former yard with state-of-the-art U.S. gallops and a staff spa. Backed by a £40 million Apollo Global Management loan secured against Amo assets, his empire now boasts 150 horses across top trainers like Karl Burke and Raphael Freire.
Yet, for all his largesse, Joorabchian remains polarizing. Critics, including some X users under hashtags like #AmoOut, decry his “hire-and-fire” ethos—jockey Kevin Stott was axed in 2023 after a poor ride on star King of Steel, and he’s cycled through yards like Roger Varian’s amid injury woes. “He’s football money in a gentleman’s game,” one fan posted, amassing 2,000 retweets. Supporters counter that his candor is a breath of fresh air in a sport haunted by scandals, from the 2023 Paulmick doping probe to whispers of insider betting rings. “Kia’s not wrong,” tweeted @EquineEthics, a welfare advocate. “Racing’s dying because it hides from itself.”
As the deleted interview ricochets through pubs and paddocks, Joorabchian shows no signs of retreat. “I’ve come from a cut-throat industry; silence isn’t my style,” he told The Guardian last week, ahead of Ancient Egypt’s tilt at the 2,000 Guineas. With Amo eyeing a Group One double at Newmarket this weekend, the timing feels poetic. Will his truths galvanize reform, or cement his pariah status? In horse racing’s gilded echo chamber, one thing’s clear: the thunder of hooves can’t drown out a voice this loud. Fans, divided as ever, watch and wager on what gallops next.
