Gold Trader's Abandoned Thoroughbred Needs a Lawyer

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 21 January 2020)

Reza Zarrab in the USA click here for a bit of background.



                            The horse he left behind.

On 1 December 2017, the Istanbul public prosecutor seized the property
of gold trader Reza Zarrab and 22 of his relatives.  Included among the
seizures were Zarrab's racehorses, one of which is 'Dayim Benim' (my
dear uncle), an English thoroughbred that won 1.5 million TL at the
Veliefendi Hipodrom racetrack in Istanbul for Zarrab.

'Dayim Benim''s last race was 3 May 2018, when the horse finished in
6th place.  Since there was no money for upkeep, 'Dayim Benim' was
barred from racing by the Turkey Jockey Club (TJK) and Zarrab's racing
permit was canceled by the TJK.  The horse's trainer Tahir Kurt was
able to keep 'Dayim Benim' in the Hipodrom stables last year but TJK
insisted that the horse leave this year so Kurt moved the racehorse to
a horse farm in Kemerburgaz, outside of Istanbul.


                                     Out to pasture.

Kurt and Zarrab worked together in connection with Zarrab's horses
beginning in 2013.  In 2016, Zarrab 'fled' to the USA (actually he was
arrested at Miami airport by U.S. officials for breaking Iran sanctions).
In any event, since Zarrab 'left' Turkey, Kurt has received no money for
the horse's upkeep and has looked after him with his own resources.
Kurt has sued Zarrab for 200,000 TL.

Kurt explained that "I've covered expenses for 'Dayim Benim' for 4
years. I have contacted the Zarrab family, but in vain.  I love this
horse, which is 7-years-old and has, at most, two years of racing left."

'Dayim Benim''s father 'Lion Heart' was one of 5 horses imported
from the USA in 2010 for $10 million.  When it became known that
'Lion Heart' had only one testicle (!), there was an argument in the
Turkish Parliament about the money spent in this regard by the
Agriculture Ministry.  Mehdi Eker, the Agriculture Minister at the
time, responded to a related question from the opposition by saying
"'Lion Heart' was born without any handicaps and this has been
proven with the presentation of the report about the related operation."


                   Zarrab could recommend this guy.