Never has buying a racehorse become so easy, once the preserve of millionaires and monarchs, today the rise in syndicated or fractional ownership means that ordinary individuals can become part-owners of a racehorse for just a few pounds..
You may be surprised to learn that horse syndicates are nothing new, in the past they tended to comprise of small group of typically friends or family members but over the past few years this has changed dramatically, now large swathes of unrelated people often in their hundreds or thousands come together to purchase shares in a horse without even knowing who each other is.
So why is horse syndication becoming so popular?
Joining a racing syndicates is an affordable, sociable way of venturing into racehorse ownership. Owning a horse can be a very expensive hobby as it involves not only the purchase cost of the horse, but the training fees, veterinary expenses and ongoing maintenance. Being part of a syndicate enables individuals to share the full ownership experience of a racehorse at a fraction of the cost. Members can own shares in multiple horses, purchase multiple low percentage shares in one horse, or sometimes, spend extra on a larger percentage usually on a monthly or yearly basis with the option to renew once the syndicate year is up.
Being a horse owners also allows members entry into the parade ring and winner’s enclosure when the horse runs. Syndicate groups such as the Owners Group and Middleham Park Racing have grown massively in popularity over the past few years and are now competing in some of the UK’s biggest races utlising the services of some the world’s most experienced trainers and jockey’s. There isn’t another sport in the world where ordinary people get the chance to compete against some of the richest owners in the world and in some cases win.
On top of the fun and excitment of attending race events members are also able to go on stable visits to see the horse and meet the trainer and will regular receive video and text updates on the horse along with a share certificate and if that’s not enough if the horse wins members then benefit from getting a shared proportion of these winning (minus expences and depending upon your syndicated T&C’s).
To conclude one of the main reasons why syndicates and ownership groups have become such a success is because they deliver dreams to so many racing fans. With an increased number of race meetings now shown on tv or accessible online being able to see your horse running up the final furlong and compete against some of the richest owners in the world and possibly win is simply magical.
