Members of the equestrian world have paid tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Leicester City Football Club chairman and racing and polo mogul, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday (27 October).
The 60-year-old Thai billionaire was one of five people killed when his helicopter crashed outside the Leicester City stadium after a Premier League match on Saturday night.
Srivaddhanaprabha made a significant impact on the worlds of racing and polo. With a significant number of racehorses in training under his King Power flag, he enjoyed several victories on the Flat during the past couple of years. His top horses included Beat The Bank, trained by Andrew Balding, and Well Done Fox, trained by Richard Hannon.
“The death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is a tragedy for the world of sport and horse racing,” read a statement from the British Horseracing Authority chief executive Nick Rust. “His enthusiasm for racing was clear and I am sure that we had only seen the beginnings of what would have been a tremendous love affair.
“King Power Racing currently has 67 horses in training with seven different trainers — that is a tremendous investment and Vichai’s passion for horses has helped support the livelihoods of many people working within the industry.”
Also a passionate polo player, Vichai’s polo teams have dominated the British high-goal circuit during the past few years, with King Power Foxes winning the prestigious Gold Cup for the British Open championship in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Read more at https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/vichai-srivaddhanaprabha-polo-racng-mogul-death-helicopter-crash-669186#sihx6VGJsIVJKzGA.99