Shared Ownership

Whether you are considering your first venture into racehorse ownership, or just wanting to expand your knowledge of shared ownership, In The Paddock is here to help. Get to know what it's all about below.

SYNDICATE OR RACING CLUB?

The organisations that manage groups of racehorse owners are often

referred to as a Syndicate or a Racing Club.

A SYNDICATE

A Syndicate is where its members, two or more people, own a racehorse (or several racehorses) and make a financial contribution to their purchase in return for legal or equitable title to the horse. Additionally, you will share the costs (for example training fees, travelling and veterinary).

In most cases you will receive a percentage of any prize money earnings over the course of the horses’ career, proceeds from the sale of the horse/s and/or breeding rights – always check individual syndicate terms and conditions.

The syndicate is run by a manager (or syndicator) who manages, administers and promotes the syndicate and who often receives payment to carry out this role.

A RACING CLUB

A Racing Club is often a more affordable option and offers a great way to dip your toe into shared ownership. As a member you will not own any legal or equitable rights to the racehorse, ownership remains with the racing club or a third party. You are likely to pay an all-inclusive membership fee which entitles you to similar benefits to that of a syndicate and can include; owners’ badges, stable visits and social events. In most cases, club members are entitled to a percentage of the prize money but check individual club terms and conditions.

Microshares: You may have heard some syndicates referred to as microshares or micro ownership.

This unique type of syndicate allows hundreds of micro-owners to buy a tiny share of a horse at a very affordable price.

For the relatively small cost, you can still receive many of the same perks as a traditional owner. From visits to the stables, regular updates from the yard and ballots for raceday tickets; it’s an inexpensive way of enjoying the ownership experience.

WHO’S WHO?

The manager and the trainer.

THE MANAGER

The syndicate or racing club manager runs the day-to-day business and generally is the go-between the trainer of the horse/s and the syndicate or racing club members. The manager, or syndicator (when referring to a syndicate), will be your main point of contact with regard to the running of the syndicate or club and communicate updates on the horses’ progress and their racing plans.

THE TRAINER

All racehorses in Britain are trained under the care of a British Horseracing Authority-licensed racehorse trainer. The trainer is responsible for the care of the horse and its training in preparation for the races. They will plan where the horse will race and make its race entries. The trainer charges a training fee to the syndicate or racing club. Often trainers run their own shared ownership entity and therefore may also act at the manager.

COST

Shared racehorse ownership means you split the cost and share the fun.

Owning a racehorse is often considered to be very expensive, but it’s shared ownership experiences like syndicates and racing clubs that allow people to split cost and share the dream.

It should be treated as an experience.

The primary purpose of participating in a racehorse syndicate or racing club is to experience the enjoyment of co-ownership of racehorses (in the case of syndicates) or experience the benefits that ownership brings, but without formal ownership (in the case of racing clubs) and not in order to receive financial return.

When entering into shared ownership, consider your budget carefully and shop around for the right ownership experience for you. Some factors to consider and research are:

  • The purchase price to join the shared ownership entity and is this a one-off payment or instalments.
  • Does this entitle you to a share in the ownership of the bloodstock interest of the horse/s, or does the club or
  • manager retain the ownership in the horse/s.
  • Are training and racing fees charged in addition to the initial cost to join or are they inclusive of the joining fee.
  • If the racehorse wins prize money are the members entitled to a percentage of the winnings, and how much.
  • The manager may also charge an administration fee to manage the shared ownership.
  • It’s important to clarify with the manager what the costs to become a shareholder are and if there are any additional costs and are these fixed or variable.

The information which appears on InthePaddock.co.uk in relation to a listed co-ownership entity (i.e. a syndicate company or racing club) has been provided by the operator of that entity and GBR makes no representation as to its accuracy. To the extent permissible by law, GBR accepts no liability for reliance on any false information displayed on InthePaddock.co.uk.

Each user acknowledges that they should make their own enquiries as to the accuracy of information displayed, in respect to a particular co-ownership operator before participating in that syndicate or racing club. The user should read the terms and conditions applying to any co-ownership entity carefully before participating in a syndicate or racing club, seeking independent legal advice where appropriate.

DISCOVER THE THRILL

Imagine sharing the excitement of an action packed day at the races, cheering on your horse and hopefully ending with celebrating in the winners’ enclosure.

From breath-taking mornings watching your racehorse on the gallops, to a thrilling day at the races, shared racehorse ownership allows you to discover the thrill of ownership together with likeminded people.

And, there will be many memorable moments to enjoy – watching your horse progress in training, the anticipation of the pre-race build up and the surge of adrenalin as you cheer your horse down the final furlong. Then, when your horse finishes first past the post – the celebrations can begin!

Before your search begins, here are some example benefits to consider:

A day at the races: the ultimate experience for any owner is to see their horse run on the racecourse. Owners’ badges, hospitality, access to the owners’ and trainers’ bar and the pre-race excitement of chatting to your trainer and jockey in the paddock are all perks of becoming an owner.

Yard visits: Being an owner gives you access to go behind the scenes at the racing yard. Many syndicates and clubs will organise trips to yards for their members where you can head out onto the gallops to get a unique glimpse at all the hard work and preparation that goes into training a horse.

Updates: Many syndicates and clubs will send regular updates on the progress of the horses, these will often including photos and videos.

SHARED OWNERSHIP, OPEN TO EVERYONE?

Yes everybody!

Anyone can get involved in the thrill of racehorse ownership and In The Paddock invites you to search through shared ownership choices to suit you.

Owning part of a racehorse is an experience shared with other likeminded people and whilst hopefully you will experience the thrill of winning, racehorse ownership should not be viewed as a financial investment.