Lucky members of Kennet Valley Syndicates are excitedly sorting out top hats and their best summer outfits in preparation for a trip to Royal Ascot.
The 16 owners of unbeaten two-year-old Night In Vegas will be heading to the world’s most famous meeting to watch their star youngster line up in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes.
The son of Lucky Vega – trained by Eve Johnson Houghton – has won both his races so far at Ascot and Goodwood.
Sam Hoskins, Racing Manager, said: “Everyone was absolutely buzzing after he won at Goodwood.
“The fact they’ve won two races and they’ve been at Ascot and Goodwood is incredible.
“Most people would give anything for any winner there and our owners have had a winner at both tracks. They do realise how lucky they are, but it could get even better.
“There’s lots of dreams in racing but Royal Ascot is definitely one of them. It’s an amazing place to have a runner with a live chance.”
The road to the biggest five days in the Flat racing calendar started in the unlikely surroundings of the Cheltenham Festival.
It was when Night In Vegas was starting to step up his work at Johnson Houghton’s stunning gallops on the North Wessex Downs, near the village of Blewbury.
Hoskins revealed: “I bumped into Eve’s jockey Charlie Bishop at Cheltenham and he said ‘I think your two-year-old is nice’.
“It was then a case of telling all the owners that their horse was well regarded without getting them too over excited.
“There’s huge excitement now. We’re certainly not just going for the day out but, whatever the result, it should be an amazing experience and you just never know.”
Kennet Valley’s familiar dark blue, white and red colours have been carried to Royal Ascot glory before.
Frustratingly, it came in 2020 – the year there were no crowds due to the Covid pandemic – when Sir Busker landed the Silver Royal Hunt Cup. He finished third in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at the following year’s Royal Ascot.
Tullius and Magical Memory – both fourth at the top level in the Queen Anne and Diamond Jubilee, respectively – are others of the syndicate’s stars to have given their owners unforgettable memories at the Royal meeting.
Kennet Valley was founded nearly 40 years ago and has become one of the most successful syndicates.
Hoskins was quick to point out that giving their owners a great experience is as important as the results.
He added: “We do a lot of social events like lunches, course walks and stud visits.
“Hopefully, win, lose or draw on the racecourse, we give them a good experience.
“It’s easy to have a good time when you’ve got a horse like Night In Vegas, but, when your horse is not quite as good or has to spend time off the track, you need to fill in the gaps. We try to make it lots of fun regardless of results.
“Through our social events our owners do get to know the other syndicate members. It becomes a big part of their social lives.
“I don’t think we’ve had a marriage yet, but there’s a lot of strong friendships that have started within the syndicates.
“It’s nice when people you could never see getting on become friends because they’ve got racing in common.
“The camaraderie is a big thing. It’s really fun sharing all the experiences with other people.
“Syndicates are, obviously, a way of spreading your risk, as well.
“Even at the very top you see shared ownership. It’s easy to forget that Coolmore usually have three or four owners in each horse.
“We don’t have as much to spend as the big owners but we can do our best to compete on the track.”
Night In Vegas is proving that point. He might just help Kennet Valley’s owners beat racing’s powerhouses on the very biggest stage.
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