A horse Simon Cowell co-owned with TV presenting duo Ant and Dec cost them £35,000, but never won a single penny in prize fees.

They may have ruled the roost on ITV each Saturday night with shows like Britain’s Got Talent and X Factor, but when it came to the world of horse racing the trio of Cowell, Ant and Dec fell at the first hurdle.

Cowell is said to have originally wanted to name the horse after himself, but eventually the trio settled on It’s A Yes From Me, a homage to one of Cowell’s catchphrases during his time as a judge on the talent shows.

Things got off to a very bad start when It’s A Yes From Me finished fifth out of five in his first race, a result which rather set the tone for his undistinguished career.

In subsequent races Cowell’s horse went on to finish fifth, fifth again, sixth and then tenth before ending his career placing second from last in what would end up being his sixth and final race.

Perhaps realising It’s A Yes From Me wasn’t quite the racing thoroughbred they were hoping for when they spent £35,000 on him, Cowell, Ant and Dec decided not to race him again.

During an online chat to promote the release of their book, Once Upon A Tyne, Dec said described It’s A Yes From Me as ‘dreadfully slow’ and said the rubbish racehorse had since been rehomed.

He said, ‘It wasn’t a racehorse it was just a horse, because it didn’t race.’