It is questionable whether horse racing is called the Sport of Kings because there’s been so much royalty involved in it historically (even now, horse-racing is patronized by royal families) or because it is a hobby that you cannot indulge in unless you are a terribly rich person. Clearly, we’re not talking about punters here. We are talking about horse owners.
In money terms, it is one particular thing to own a horse and use it for private riding only. It is another to use that horse for shows. And ultimately, horses bred for racing are an entirely different chapter altogether. All of these activities need money, but thoroughbred racing needs serious money. Race horses with pedigrees don’t come at cheap prices. Even in terms of median costs, a racehorse at the least costs as much as an excellent family vehicle. In terms of extreme costs, a race horse with a big reputation can cost as much as a fleet of autos. Keeping a race horse fed, groomed and trained can cost minor fortunes, much more than running a great family car would. No reasonable race horse owner would put up his horses at a stable-for-hire. He would rather spend more money on his own stable and infrastructure.
The days of royal exclusiveness are gone for ever, though. You don’t have to be a member of a blue blooded western or an eastern family to have a race horse. That isn’t to suggest you go ahead and get on one your own, though. It suggests you can co-operate with family and friends to do that.
You do so by setting up a syndicate. That suggests obviously that you and your co-operators are joint venture partners in possession and racing of a race horse. You share the costs of buying and maintaining the horse, and you share the earnings if any. If 10 of you get together to equally invest in a race horse worth $30,000, you’re a one-tenth owner of that horse with an investment of $3,000, as is each of your 9 partners.
Your investment in buying the horse is kept to cost-effective levels, as is your investment in maintaining the horse. Do you realize you can gain a lot out of that little investment? You’re now a bewildering part of the galaxy of race courses, race horses, race horse owners, jockeys and trainers. You get the rights to fringe benefits like club membership, bringing friends and family over for a day at the track. You are allowed to use facilities that come along with membership, but aren’t accessible to the general public.
You can form your own syndicate or join an existing one. If you’re interested in joining an existing one, trainers are your best bet for trustworthy information on the best syndicates to join. A large amount of them have their own syndicates. If you have got an interest in your own syndicate, get your fellow partakers prepared and able, go to the nearest Jockey Club and make an enquiry about the formalities to be completed. Complete them.
You could make an attempt to emulate the 10 partners of the Sackatoga Stable who achieved the stunning feat of winning the 2003 Kentucky Derby with the horse Funny Cide!
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