racing syndicate advice required

Toffee

At the Start
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
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82
Hello Boys,

After a busy year with work I have managed to put a little cash to one side. Yes I could bank it or buy something nice for the wife, but there's no fun in that now is there?

So I am thinking about getting involved with a race club or syndicate. Being from the North West I have looked at Manor House Stables (Tom Dascombe) and also Dibble Bridge Stables for Phil Kirby.

I love jumps racing so NH is my main target
I also can invest up to £80 a month

I appreciate I dont have a lot of money, however i would be grateful if you could provide feedback on where I should be looking to invest.

Not too bothered if the stable is not based in the North, just looking for options within NH racing and fingers crossed a visit to the winners enclosure.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this post.

Regards

Toffee
 
Looking on Philip Kirbys site it says he's moving and cutting back on his horses. Has a very good strike rate [win and place] though. Rather interested to know how you get on as we know [very vaguely] Adam Nicols father, albeit only seeing him once in a blue moon. Wonder if the cutback will mean Adam gets less rides for him? We sometimes see him at Kelso.
 
The problem is if you intend buying a leg in something too many would rob you as quick as look at you.

I can recommend John Quinn who I have known since his riding days.

He's as honest as the day is long great fun to be associated with and his wife Sue is the best cook in the North of England.

Daughter Kelly runs the admin side and they are lovely people

Great little set up Bellwood Cottages in a small village in Settrington you could eat your dinner off the floor.

He also rents Bill Elsey's old yard and has excellent facilities

Go and talk to him personally or catch him at a race meeting he's very approachable and if he might have a syndicate opening

A word of warning: The golden rule of becoming an owner is go into it expecting to lose and regard it as an expensive hobby.
The minute you get involved your money is gone and you should expect nothing more than loads of fun from owning a horse.

Some land lucky and make a few quid but they are few and far between.
 
PS these syndicates who have more owners that hot dinners are not the way to go IMO 4 lads getting together and have a trainer buy something is a lot more fun than being number 12 of 20

Hope that gives to something to chew on..........Toffee :lol:
 
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If you are only investing £80 a month then you'll have no option but to get involved in a club rather than a syndicate.... (id call a syndicate anything up to 12 owners) £80 * 12 wont cover stable fees. You;d be looking at more like £150 a month +

Tom Dascombe is flat mainly. If you are looking for a bit fun with decent people in the North of England get in touch with Rebecca Menzies. She used to be Ferdy Murphys assistant and is now going it alone. She has various clubs, and syndicates. Give her a call and tell her what you are looking to spend. She'll have various options. She's a good girl and will look after you.

What ever you do make sure the horse is going to be run where you can go and watch it. Being in the winners enclosure even as the smallest stakes owner is the best feeling in the world.
 
Thanks for the feedback lads, very much appreciate your time and opinions. I have looked at John Quinn's website and also Panther Racing where Rebecca is involved.

I will certainly note what's been provided, I will also try and see if a couple of my mates will get involved....with a few more people we might be able to put more money in the pot and come up with a decent plan.

Like the humour Tanlic :D
 
I assume you have some initial money to put in to buy a share Toffee? You'll need that unless you Lease the horse. Also speak to Mark Ball at Lets Live Racing.
 
I'll stick in my bit as I went through this exercise 3 months ago.

Firstly, Tanlic is correct that it's best to go with a group of people that you know and that any money you put in should be considered purely as an investment in enjoying the experience. Digger is also correct that, as it stands, a club is probably your only option. There are a number of trainers who will probably sell half a horse to a group of you but, as Digger says, training fees will be £1800 pm upwards depending on the trainer so you'll need a dozen of you in half the horse if you want to keep to £80 pm. In addition to the trainers already mentioned you might like to look at Brian Ellison and Alan Swinbank who will probably tell it to you like it is. I had a 'taster' share with Panther Racing a few years back and thought it good value in terms of days out as an owner etc but there was never going to be any financial return. Pretty much the same as a season ticket at Everton?
In the end I took up shares in 2 horses with racing groups run by stables. One is with David O'Meara and the other is Supreme Racing with Willie Mullins. They have quite a few UK members and, by all accounts, look after them well. If you're in the North West then it's pretty much as easy getting to Punchestown as Newbury or Newcastle. One thing I have learned over the years is that there's as much enjoyment out of owning 5% as in 50%. A NH horse will run less regularly than a sprinter on the flat so if bang for your buck is measured in race days you are better off with 2.5% shares in two horses rather than 5% in one.
Best of luck.
 
Probably not of much interest or help to you Toffee but a friend of mine based in Shropshire (I think) has shares in a horse who was beaten 8 1/4 lengths in a Hunter Chase in December 2013 to point-to-point for £300 until the end of the season (June) - would be running up in the North West (Cheshire, Cumbria, Bangor etc) in the main I think.

Great day out and would be good fun - she's the daughter of a Grand National winning trainer and will hopefully have a runner in the Foxhunters at Aintree in April (though not this horse).

Martin
 
Agree with Archie on Punchestown though would add that Navan, Fairyhouse and Leopardstown would all be easier to get to than Punchestown from the North West and Cork, Limerick etc. wouldn't be the hardest places to get to from Liverpool or Manchester airports.

I've regularly done rules and point-to-point day trips to Ireland with a 6:30am flight to Dublin and 9pm or so flight home for weekends.

Martin
 
I'd also ask about costs when a horse goes racing. I was told of a trainer who charges for transportation on the asumption that only one horse will be in the box and doesn't reduce that even if several other horses travel together; not sure if that's the case with all training establishments though.
 
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