Although headline race days such as the Queen’s Plate and the Met are ‘de rigueur’ for social movers and shakers and the party scene’s glamour birds and boys, one of racing’s best kept secrets is that owning a racehorse, or rather, owning a share in a racehorse, is easier as well as more affordable and accessible than imagined.

Also, if you’ve ever envied the elegant folk tarrying under the leafy parade-ring oaks as their jockey’s, dressed in their colourful silks, approach to greet them, or wondered what it feels like to watch your horse cantering down to the start, thinking that you couldn’t possibly afford it, you could be wrong. 

Although ‘Ubuntu’ may be the current catchphrase, people have been getting by with a little help from their friends for centuries – in horse racing, this is known as ‘syndication’. It is also said one should never invest in something that eats while one sleeps and for that reason alone, owning a racehorse can be a daunting and expensive exercise, especially for the first time owner, or even for those wanting to try without getting too committed. 

Enter the world of horse racing syndicates, where the cost of buying and keeping a horse in training is split amongst as many BLQ_Syndicatepeople as necessary. Syndicates can consist of any number of people who feel like getting together to share in the fun. Members can choose the level of financial commitment they are comfortable with which helps keep the costs down. The best news is that even though joining a syndicate comes at a fraction of the price, there will always be someone to go racing with and you will still experience a hundred percent of the thrill. You also get to split any winnings and if your horse shows some promise, there is always the opportunity to travel – race tracks are situated in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Johannesburg, and Kimberley.

While racing is open to anybody who would like to get involved, there is a lot to learn. Syndicates and particularly syndicate managers can be a huge help in terms of explaining how things work, the costs that are involved and even structure an arrangement for a set monthly fee, alleviating any fears of unforeseen expenses.  Some horse racing trainers also operate as syndicate managers, offering syndicate members their industry expertise. Syndicate managers can also guide you step-by-step through all aspects of the racing experience. This includes selecting a horse, lodging the necessary paperwork, choosing a trainer, managing the accounts, being involved in all the behind the scenes fun of morning gallops and of course, letting you know when it’s time to go racing.

While horse racing is unreservedly an expensive leisure activity much like golf, there are several ways to purchase a Thoroughbred, with most people opting to select a horse at a public auction, such as those held under the auspices of the National Breed Society, the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA) of South Africa. 

Such auctions provide a choice of ‘Yearling Sales’ (which means buying a horse at the age of around 18 months), ‘2-Year Old Sales’ (where horses are a little more mature and nearly ready to go into training) or ‘Ready-To-Run

Sales may mean serious business, but are also an opportunity to get to know breeders, bloodstock agents, trainers and other owners with the added advantage that they are often fun social events as well.

Nuala Gage, a performance solutions manager from Johannesburg, owns a share in a horse with five others, through Imagine Racing.

Imagine Racing syndicate at their final score lead-in.

Imagine Racing syndicate at their final score lead-in.

Comments Nuala: “Everything is done for me, from managing stable and training fees, veterinary and farrier interactions, race notifications and communications. As a part owner in Scott’s Pine, I receive regular updates on how he is doing, when he is racing, what his results are and how he pulled up after a race. Imagine Racing shares all sorts of interesting information on their Facebook page too, from racing fashion to all the horses’ wins and general information within the industry.”

Another syndicate member, property director Davey Mabotja part owns a filly called At Sunset through a syndicate. He says his love of racing and horses through syndicate membership is a dream come true.

Comments Davey: “I chose syndication over full ownership because this is my first experience into horse racing and hence I preferred shared ownership.”

Whether you own a tail hair, a hoof or a whole horse, the ‘winning high’ feels the same and is even more rewarding when shared with friends.  A shared interest means there’s always a reason to go to gallops, or better yet, racing on the weekend to experience the mutual ups and downs that build friendships that last for life.

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