The Grey Racehorse Club in Newmarket has unveiled The Club, a members-only syndicate that allows racing enthusiasts to experience the thrill of owning a thoroughbred.
Racing has always been known as the sport of kings. Indeed, Charles II is said to have held races on private courses, awarding prizes to the winners. But racing’s origins as a competitive sport actually lie in ancient history, when public entertainment centred around chariots as well as mounted riders. Owning a horse, however, has always been the preserve of the elite, out of reach of most racing enthusiasts – even today.
The Grey Racehorse Club in Newmarket hopes to change that with an innovative club whose mission is to syndicate the ownership of its regal grey thoroughbred. A filly of incomparable agility, by the very successful sire Ifraaj out of Tequila Sunrise, this filly will be named by her owners – and this could be you!
She was purchased in the autumn of 2019, with the aim of running on the track in 2020 – by the time she is two years old. The Grey Racehorse Club hopes to introduce racehorse ownership to a wider demographic by giving members a chance to share in the glory of owning a grey. The Club will be limited to 20 shareholders, which is a relatively modest number compared with other syndicates, thereby giving members the ‘intimate’ experience of true racehorse ownership. ‘Unlike other clubs, explains a spokesperson, ‘The Club members will own the horse outright.’
It has been the long-held ambition of syndicate manager and racing enthusiast Mike Lilley to create an environment where enthusiasts can come together and share their affinity for greys, among the most alluring of thoroughbreds, not least for their velvety slate-coloured coat but also for their agility and spirit. Indeed, who can ever forget the thrill of watching that most famous grey, Desert Orchid, cross the finish line, much-loved by enthusiasts for its style and versatility.
By teaming up with the young, formidable racehorse trainer George Scott, whose ‘winning touch’ has made him a rising star of the international racing world, The Club has found the ideal team to give investors a great racehorse ownership experience. ‘When you stand at the paddock and hear spectators watching the horses, the thing you always hear is someone saying, “I’m backing the grey,”’ says Scott. ‘There’s something especially moving about a grey thoroughbred, and we wanted the syndicate to reflect this.’
The Club will run from 1 January to 31 October; at the end of the term, the grey will be sold at Tattersalls auctioneers and the proceeds divided among the shareholders. ‘Racing is thrilling, it’s glamorous, but owning a racehorse can be pricey. A syndicate is something different – it’s affordable at almost any level,’ explains Scott. ‘A syndication means a horse can be owned by anything from a small handful of people to as many as 3,000.’
To watch a short film of the stunning filly please follow this link.
To find out more, phone The Grey Racehorse Club on 07833 461294, or visit www.greyracehorse.com
