Monbeg Genius and other horses owned by Michelle Mone and her husband cleared to race

The BHA has confirmed that horses belonging to Conservative peer Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman – notably Randox Grand National entry Monbeg Genius – have been cleared to run after British racing's regulator consulted with relevant authorities. 

The BHA began liaising over the status of the Barrowman Racing horses at the end of January following court orders which "froze or restrained" £75 million of the couple's assets. 

In a statement released on Friday, the BHA said: "Having been made aware of a restraint order on a number of assets belonging to Michelle Mone and Doug Barrowman, the BHA liaised with relevant parties in order to understand the potential implications this had for their involvement in racing.

"Following these discussions, the BHA can confirm that horses in the ownership of Barrowman Racing Ltd are not affected by the restraint order and are therefore permitted to continue to race."

Doug Barrowman and Michelle Mone at the 2019 Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Max Mumby/Indigo

Monbeg Genius was last seen finishing third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in December and is no bigger than 20-1 to provide trainer Jonjo O'Neill with a second success in the National on April 13. He has been seen as a live National contender since finishing third to Corach Rambler and Fastorslow in the Ultima at last season's Cheltenham Festival and has missed potential engagements in the Welsh Grand National and the Classic Chase, with the trainer unhappy with his condition following his Newbury run. 

The only other horse to carry the Barrowman silks this season is Ruler Legend, who has yet to win in three starts over hurdles for O'Neill after being bought out of Fozzy Stack's yard last summer. 

Mone and Barrowman have rarely been far from the headlines in recent months owing to the intense scrutiny surrounding £202m worth of UK government contracts for personal protective equipment awarded to Medpro PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Barrowman put together Medpro PPE in May 2020 as a consortium to source protective equipment for the UK, while Mone recommended the company to the Department of Health through her role as a Conservative peer. 

In December 2022 the government instigated civil legal proceedings against Medpro PPE to recover £122m of taxpayers' money for equipment which it claims did not meet required standards, while an inquiry by the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards into Mone's role is currently suspended pending the conclusion of an investigation into Medpro PPE by the National Crime Agency.  

Barrowman also faced court questioning in the Spanish city of Santander last month in connection with an alleged £16m tax fraud and embezzlement case. 

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