Magnier family goes to High Court over Barne Estate

Coolmore boss John Magnier and his family have launched High Court proceedings over the sale of Barne Estate, a 751ac residential tillage farm close to Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

John Magnier, his son, John Paul, and daughter, Kate Wachman, filed a plenary summons on Monday against Richard Thomson Moore, Barne Estate Ltd, and two Jersey-registered companies, IQ EQ One and IQ EQ Two.

The Barne Estate has been in the ownership of the Moore family since the 1800s and was managed by Richard Thomson Moore in recent years.

The 751ac farm came on the market last July and, following a heated contest with a south Tipperary business and farming family, Coolmore appeared to have sealed the deal to acquire the land.

Coolmore agricultural machinery began working the fields around the chateau-style house in early September, but it appears that the deal subsequently hit the rocks. Now it is understood that the Magniers are taking court action to pursue completion of the sale.

A High Court showdown between the bloodstock tycoon Magnier and the Barne Estate representatives looks set for the coming weeks.

Magnier was famously embroiled in a court action in the early 2000s with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, over the ownership of the thoroughbred stallion Rock of Gibraltar. That case was ultimately settled out of court, with Ferguson receiving a £2.5m (€2.8m) payment.

Representatives for the Magnier family declined to comment on the Barne case when contacted, while Richard Thomson-Moore also declined to comment.