Former Cardiff City player Ben Turner has revealed he has a new career in the world of horse racing.

Turner made 111 appearances for the Bluebirds, making a name for himself in the club’s history by scoring the equalizer in the 2012 League Cup final against Liverpool and helping the team exit the Championship as league champions in 2012–13. His 17-year career also included spells at Coventry City and Burton Albion.

Now, however, Turner is more likely to be found tending racehorses than defending himself from attackers. At age 35, Turner found success in his second career as manager of a racehorse syndicate, declaring that racing had overtaken football as his “favorite sport.” He works full-time with horses after leaving his role as head trainer at Forest Green Rovers earlier this year. Get the latest Cardiff city news sent straight to your inbox for free with our daily newsletter.

The former Bluebird’s love of sport saw him win £20,000 from a “high” Fabio, the former Man Utd star who was his Cardiff City team-mate at the Cheltenham Festival in 2015.

He told Bajo Kosham: “I was trying to get the other guys to bet on the four Willie Mullins, who were pretty evenly matched.

“I said we should split and invest £7,000 in them and they would give us back £15,000, we just needed Annie Power, Fogin, Doowan or Un De So to cross the line to get our money back.

“Three of the four won, but only Fábio went with me.

“I told the other guys to follow me, but they said, ‘Oh, you’re not going to be happy.’

“Fábio said he was with me and I said: ‘We’re going to be fine, Fab, we’re going to be fine.’

“The third one arrives and we are guaranteed £20,000 each and Fábio is delighted, impressed and loves it.

“He’s handing over his phone, allowing all the staff to bid, absolutely brilliant.

“I remember we were walking off the field and he said, ‘I love you, Ben,’ and I said, ‘I love you too!’”

Reflecting on his football career, Turner said he will always fondly remember his time in the Welsh capital: “My family would say the League Cup final would be their best memory and that would be my best memory.” “But getting promoted to the Premier League was my best achievement because it takes more than 46 games to achieve it.”

Despite the team’s subsequent return to the Championship, Turner’s journey was marked by setbacks due to serious injuries during the 2014–15 season, which affected his playing time and led to a loan move to Coventry City.

One of Turner’s first racing successes in his new job is the seven-year-old mare Marsh Wren, trained by Stuart Edmunds, a “wild” diamond in the rough who won an impressive £30,000 in just ten races. he told The Sun.

Marsh Wren has won six races, with four wins in the last five, including an impressive 12-1 victory on his last start.