RACING SYNDICATES THE POPULARITYOFHORSE


RACING SYNDICATES CHN chatstoDan Abraham, Syndicate Manager at Foxtrot Racing and Chairman of the RacehorseSyndicates Association (RSA).


Foxtrot Members watching horsesonDr RichardNewland’sgallops


O


wning ahorse is an expensive hobby. Surely then owning aracehorse,and getting involved in horseracing,


is only forthe rich and royal? ‘Not at all’,explains DanAbraham –owner


and syndicatemanager of the highly successful Foxtrot Racing. ‘Shared ownership makes owning aracehorse achievable foreveryone. Not only doesitmakeitaffordable,itisalso a morefun experience. We’reafriendly,sociable group at FoxtrotRacing and youget the chance to go racing with other like-minded people.’ Thereare,itseems, manymorebenefits to


sharing ownership of aracehorse through a syndicateorsimilar.‘It’s about the thrill of being close to these amazing horses. Of course,it is about going to the racesand watching your horse crossthe finish line in front. Yetthere is much moretoitthan that. We get regular updates from our trainersabout our horses, sharing weekly updates about their progress. As asyndicate, we also visit the horsesatthe training yards, and watchthem working on the gallops. We spend time thereasagroup talking with the trainer and their staff about racing plans and the horse’swellbeing. We also get an insight intothe daily lifeofaracehorse and


their people –fromwork riders, yard staff,vets and farriers–either by videoorbylivewebinar. On race days we provide livebroadcasts for those memberswho cannot makeitsothat theycan hear the views of the trainer and jockey beforethe race.Awayfromraceday thereis alwaysplentygoing on such as social events, visitstostuds or the salesand other stables.” Shared ownership,which includeshorse


racing syndicates and clubs, is the fastest growing wayofowning aracehorse.So, what is driving the popularityofsyndicates? ‘It’s not justabout the affordability. It is also


astress-free wayofgetting intoracing. You benefitfromthe expertiseofthe syndicate manager,who organisesall the administration of owning aracehorse,managesthe finances, liaiseswith the trainer to ensureyour horse is in competitiveraces,arrangesbadgesfor owners on race days and keeps youinformed about everything to do with your horse’. Financially transparencyiskey when choosing


which syndicatetoget involved in. ‘Look fora fixedcost, so youdon’t find yourself paying out foradditional training or vets fees.Awell-run syndicatecommunicates abreakdownofthe costs, from purchase pricetotraining fees,so youknowyour moneyispaying for,’saysDan. ‘The BHA Code of Conductfor Syndicates is auseful tool to ensurethe syndicate is following the correctguidelinesand offering asuitable servicetoits members. Another aspectofrunning asyndicate


is buying horsesand making the mostof theexpertise of asyndicatemanager is a definiteadvantage of being in asyndicate if youare gettinginvolved in owning a racehorsefor the firsttime.‘Ispend a significant amount of time researching the purchase of the right horse and placing it with asuitable trainer’,saysDan. Once with atrainer, ahorse that belongs to asyndicateislooked after


Hogan’sHeightwho raninthe Grand National forFoxtrot Racing in April


30 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER2021


with the same high levelofcareasany racehorse. ‘The focus forall of our horsesisto


ith Foxtrot MembersatAscot with Vosne Romanee Forthe latestnewsvisitwww.centralhorsenews.co.uk Vosne Romanee winning forFoxtrot Racing


understand their abilitiesand temperament, and train them accordingly’,Dan says. Agreat example of this is FoxtrotRacing’s


VOSNE ROMANEE. Purchased for£10,000, he gave his 20 ownersamostexciting ride. ‘Ronnie’,asheisknown, wastrained by Dr RichardNewland at his Worcestershire training yard.Heraced successfully over National Hunt fences,running at Aintree, Ascot, Cheltenham and more–winning over £150,000 forhis syndicate. He even flew to the US to race at Grade 1level there. And when he suffered acareer-ending tendoninjury, Ronnie wasrehomed with one of the syndicate memberswhereheiscurrently retraining. ‘What happens to our horsesoncetheirracing


career is overisofgreat importancetous. We look forthe best home forthe horse,working with their trainer to find something suitable for that particular horse’,Dan says.‘We giveany that areinjured plentyoftime to recover before we consider what theycan do next’. Foxtrot Racing’s former racehorses have gone on to enjoyteam chasing, hunting, showing and hacking.


Youcan find out moreabout getting involved in racehorse ownership at www.foxtrotracing.co.uk


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