Horses

I think many horse racing fans have aspirations of owning a thoroughbred racehorse. I often think the thought is better than the reality as I’m sure the horse in mind wins race after race until it takes a Classic in its stride. The reality is that 80% of horses never win a race and I think that 70% of the money you spend on buying a horse is lost. The finances of racehorse ownership are enjoy to put anyone off. In addition, the cost of training a horse are from £20 – £30K a year. When you consider that your average run-of-the-mill race is worth £5,000 it makes grim reading. However, that doesn’t mean to say you should become an owner or think of cheaper alternatives.

The cost of outright ownership has led to horse racing syndicates. This can mean many things from a small group of individuals owning a race horse between them and sharing costs and price money to simply being little more than an owner in the most limited form. I remember back in the day big advertisements in the tabloids for Full Circle. A horse racing syndicate where you basically got a share in a horse for perhaps £50. That’s just about all you got. No chance to go to watch your horse on the gallops, no say in anything about future plans, no price money and perhaps an email saying your horse was running on so and so date and it had an each-way chance.

Basically, you were simply paying for someone else’s enjoyment.

There are many syndicates which meet varying needs. Some are from larger syndications such as Middleham Park Racing who have a great track record and horses at many different price points. While many trainers have horses syndicated.

There is just about something for everyone to meet the budget of all.

You can spend multiple thousands or a few hundred.

I would consider paying less than more simply because the likelihood of seeing a return on your investment is slim. Personally, I wouldn’t be too happy about losing a couple of thousand even with have the fun and enjoyment of being an owner.

There are far too many syndications to name they all have pros and cons.

However, I think the aim of being an owner (within a syndicate) is this:

To have a few horses in a syndicated.

To have the opportunity to visit the stable for open days and special occasions.

To be able to get your horse trainer and owners badge so you can go to the course for free.

To have the opportunity to meet the trainer and be part of a group to enjoy the day and socialise.

To be given the latest information on the chances of your horse(s) when racing.

And do so at a very affordable rate.

You may be saying: ‘This sounds too good to be true!’

I have personal experience of one such horse racing syndicate who really give value for money. In fact, I am amazed the don’t charge much more because they should do.

The horse trainer in question is Julia Feilden whose stables are at Exning Newmarket. I have met Julia on a few occasions as I was part of the gang at Newmarket Equine Tours (N.E.T) Racing Club. As they say: ‘For just £200 per year, you will be involved with not just one but Four horses!

As a member, you will received complimentary owners’ badges to the races, race day hospitality, unlimited stable visits, email updates, and invites to organised owners’ events…there are no catches!

If you are interested in horse racing ownership, I would say to check out Julia’s website and be part of a racing syndicate that really goes above and beyond what you will find elsewhere.

I can say this as a personal testament and I was nothing but impressed. To be fair, I don’t think Julia does it for the money, just the love of racing which you will find no more passionate trainer.

Why not come along and enjoy it too.

Mill House was finally retired from racing at the end of 1967/68 National Hunt season after falling in the Whitbread Gold Cup, now the Bet365 Gold Cup, at Sandown Park. It is a testament to his ability that, six decades later, he remains the joint-fourth highest-rated steeplechaser in the history of Timeform, alongside Kauto Star and behind only Arkle, Flyingbolt and Sprinter Sacre. Standing almost 18 hands high, hence his nickname, ‘The Big Horse’, Mill House was owned, after his first three starts in his native Ireland, by retired businessman William ‘Bill’ Gollings, trained by the legendary Fulke Walwyn and ridden, for most of his career, by Willie Robertson, who was stable jockey to Walwyn at Saxon House Stables in Upper Lambourn, Berkshire.

Bred by Bridget Lawlor in Punchestown, Co. Kildare, Mill House was a stoutly-bred son of King Hal, who first attracted the attention of the wider racing public when, as a six-year-old, he beat the previous year’s runner-up, Fortria, by an impressive 12 lengths in the 1963 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He subsequently won the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, rather fortuitously beating Arkle, who slipped badly on landing after the third-last fence, but nonetheless leading Walwyn to consider his charge ‘unbeatable’ when the pair met again in the 1964 Cheltenham.

Of course, Mill House wasn’t unbeatable, eventually going down by five lengths to Arkle, after a sustained duel, and would be beaten three more times by the horse who became known simply as ‘Himself’ over the next 18 months or so. Rematches in the Hennessy Gold Cup and Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1964/65 went the way of Arkle, by increasing margins, and even in the Gallaher Gold Cup at Sandown Park the following season – in which Mill House was reportedly back to his very best and in receipt of 16lb – he still couldn’t lay a glove on his nemesis.

For those who have little understanding of horse racing they may think a cliff horse is a horse that stands on the edge of a cliff.

In truth, these beasts are more likely to have you standing on the edge of a cliff contemplating jumping and finishing the whole sorry business. Obviously, if anyone feels they are struggling with thoughts of suicide or self harming, they should seek professional help.

In essence, a cliff horse is one that you just can’t stop betting. Unlike Pegasus, it doesn’t sprout wings and fly off into the sunset with you perched on its back. You drop like a stone.

If you bet on a horse every time it runs in an unrelenting fashion you need to think you are caught up in such a scenario. It happens when you fancy a horse to win a race, place a bet, and it loses. You say: ‘Next time that will be a winner.’ So you bet the next time, then the next, live in a world of hope and dismay, carry on betting, the same horse, until one day you realise the beast is never going to win.

Every punter has bet on such horses.

It’s a good reason to question why you continue to bet on the same horse. I would suggest, at a push, you bet on the same horse twice. It isn’t third time lucky. A bookmaker must have come up with that maxim realising it was a money spinner.

I’ve studied two-year-old horse racing racing to the extreme and I have an understanding of why the cliff horse exists and why it’s a killer. The research details these horses are the proverbial loser waiting to happen. This must have a psychological underpinning, a behaviour related to attachment theory.

My studies have revealed that if a two-year-old horse doesn’t win in its first three starts in maiden company (not nursery) they have a horrendous strike rate. In fact, the only real hope they have is if starting favourite and then they can struggle.

What is the best approach to not bet on cliff horses?

Question what you are doing. Without an answer to a question, you are unlikely to make the right decisions. You are floating in the air at the mercy of your emotions and knee jerk reactions. It is a poor way of working and it will plague you for as long as you put up with it.

Here’s the answer to the question: Bet on a horse twice then stop.

Never again.

You are probably saying: ‘That name sounds familiar.’

‘Klute.’

Wasn’t he a thoroughbred racehorse?

Even though Klute is a name many a sports fans will remember you may need to be a horse racing aficionado to put a name to a face. As the horse joke goes: ‘Why the long face?’

You will have to go back to 1988. The venue, Haydock Park, Liverpool, England.

The scene was set. Klute, owned and trained and ridden by Lesley Bruce. He wasn’t your average thoroughbred horse. He was raised as a pet. In fact, he never raced under official rules. He used to run for fun on the beach.

Klute was a horse that both captured the imagination but questioned data too. ‘How could he be the fastest horse in the world?’ The Guinness Book of Records detailed his achievement as fact. In a World Speed Challenge, Klute had seemingly achieved the impossible. He had run a remarkably fast half furlong at Haydock Park, recording a world record of 44.91mph. He beat the former record set in 1945 when Speedy Gonzales, a Mexican quarter horse, clocked 43.26mph.

While some rejoiced in Klute’s success others sneered at his ‘record’. They didn’t believe it was true.

‘How could he be the fastest horse in the world?’

Standing her ground, Lesley Bruce was confident Klute could face any competition. He wouldn’t be frightened to take on the best racehorse.

The challenge was set.

A challenger was found for Klute.

On the 12^th August, 1988: 5:15 Haydock, Klute would face his sole challenger, So Careful, trained by Jack Berry.

The Philip Cornes Match (Speed World Challenge) over 5-furlongs.

Something didn’t seem right. The bookmakers chalked-up the prices. Surely, Klute would be odds-on to win this two-horse race?

So why was Klute priced 9/1 second favourite? So Careful, a horse with an official rating of 71, was priced 1/14.

Lesley Bruce would ride Klute. His opponent, So Careful, a five-year-old horse, would be ridden by professional jockey, John Carroll.

In a time of just 1m 4.34s the race was over.

Victory by 25-lengths, unchallenged. So Careful won without breaking into a sweat.

Klute’s reputation in tatters. A tearful Lesley Bruce, consoling her nine-year-old horse, questioning how he could have lost.

She said: ‘There was something wrong with him. He’s been ill.’

We will always wonder what happened to Klute’s exceptional pace. Was his World Record a fluke?

So Careful was a hard-as-nails horse that races 38 times, winning 6 times, but was far from an exceptional horse. If anything he was just an average horse.

It wasn’t the end of the story. Klute would have a second chance to prove that performance all wrong.

In 1990 Klute would face another rival from the Jack Berry stable, in Valldemosa. The venue Catterick Bridge, racing over a distance of 5-furlongs.

This time the bookmakers had given up any hope of Klute beating his sole opponent. Valldemos was priced at 1/33. There was little support for Klute at odds of 16/1.

The race comments detailed: Valldemosa: ‘Made all, easily.’ Klute was beaten by 8-lengths.

Klute’s title as the World’s Fastest Horse still stands today.