Owning a racehorse and watching your own colours carried to glory as they whizz past the finishing post is one of the huge thrills in life.
Having that opportunity to walk into the winner’s enclosure alongside your horse at one of the sport’s biggest meetings such as Royal Ascot or the Cheltenham Festival is an ambition for many horse racing enthusiasts.
Getting to that stage where you own a horse capable of winning racing’s biggest prizes requires serious consideration as there are many factors to weigh up before you take the plunge into racehorse ownership.
Being part of a syndicate
If you are someone who enjoys a day out in style at the races and is looking to get closer to the sport and boost your knowledge, then one way to do this is by becoming involved in racehorse ownership via a syndicate. Being part of a syndicate gives you the chance to own a share in a horse and become involved in the sport at a level where you have the chance to build up your own insight into how it all works. If you have like-minded friends, if you buy a share in a racehorse gift, then you could have the opportunity to take that first step into racehorse ownership together. And what better way to enjoy a trip to the races than being able to celebrate success together with a friend when your horse wins!
In addition to going to the races, being part of a syndicate also gives you a way to meet like-minded individuals and be part of a team. You can also visit your horse in training and follow the horse’s progress from when it is first sent into training to eventually stepping out onto the track.
But for those who want a bit more autonomy and control when it comes to racehorse ownership, then being a single owner would be the best approach to take.
You can also make the decision on which trainer you send your horse, or horses, to and there are different factors to consider here too. Do you choose one of the highest-profile trainers who has a track record of winning the biggest races? Or do you look for an up-and-coming trainer to potentially build a long-lasting partnership with or a trainer who has a particularly strong strike rate when it comes to sending out winners?
Deciding on ambitions as an owner
These are among the points to consider when you own a horse individually, but you must first buy the horse, and this is where you need to consider the scale of your ambition when it comes to racehorse ownership.
If your goal is to own a horse to run in your own silks that you can watch every time it runs, then one way to do this would be to contact a trainer, who could either source a horse for you or inform you of any horses in their own yard that are for sale. Similarly, if you are looking for more of a readymade horse to deliver success on the track, then there are different horses-in-training sales where you can pick up a horse. These take place at different times in the year, for flat and jumps horses, while some of the sport’s biggest owners will have dispersal sales towards the end of a season when they look to move on some horses to accommodate the yearlings coming through.
But if your long-term goal is to be a racehorse owner with a string of horses capable of competing in the biggest races across the globe, then it is probably wise to enlist the services of a bloodstock agent or a racing manager.
Many of the biggest-spending owners, especially those who do not have a career or background in horse racing, will use a bloodstock agent or racing manager to advise on which horses to buy, particularly if you are looking to purchase a yearling or two so you can follow the horse’s progression right from the start of its career.
This is particularly important if you are looking to buy horses who have yet to race as relying on their trained eye, allied to their knowledge of a horse’s breeding, is essential in giving you the best chance of owning a horse that can give you that thrill of winning on the biggest stage.
So, when it comes to making your own decision about which route into racehorse ownership you want to take, perhaps the best approach is to decide what type of experience you want and who you want to share that experience with. And then make sure you enjoy that experience!
