Tony Bloom and Patrick Veitch to team up as Brighton & Hove Albion chairman eyes increased presence on the Flat

Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, joint-owners of last season’s Gimcrack winner Lake Forest, have joined forces with professional punter Patrick Veitch with the aim of having an increased presence in British Flat racing.

Bloom, who as chairman has overseen the rise of Brighton & Hove Albion from League One to the Premier League and a first European campaign this season, will establish the breeding operation First Bloodstock alongside McAleavy at Hillwood Stud, which is run by Charlie and Tracy Vigors in Marlborough.

Veitch already has a band of high-quality mares at the Wiltshire stud and will work with Bloom and McAleavy, the head of football at Bloom's analytics firm Starlizard, to assist in sourcing Flat horses to be trained by William Haggas, Andrew Balding and Ralph Beckett.