I am a beginner and have never owned a racehorse before.  Does it matter?

 Not at all. A large number of our owners got involved for the first time when they joined us and are still with us years later!. We are committed to doing everything we can to make the experience easy and enjoyable. Being part of a well run professional syndicate is the perfect way to get involved as an owner and we are always at the end of a phone or an email away to answer any questions you may have. 

How do I get involved in Surrey Racing?

The process for buying a share in one of our horses couldn’t be simpler:

• You pay a one off fee to purchase your share – you then own your share.

• There is a monthly maintenance fee to cover all ongoing training and racing costs.

• Ownership is covered by a simple syndicate agreement between Surrey Racing and each of the owners. The agreement conforms to the Weatherbys/BHA approved template. 

How many people are there in each syndicate?

 We have between 8-12 owners per horse. 

What share sizes do you offer and what are the differences?

 We sell share sizes of 2.5%, 5% and 10%, although bigger sizes are available on request.

We give owners the flexibility of different price and owner’s badge options. 10% owners receive 2 O&T badges, 5% one, and while there is no guarantee for 2.5% shareholders, we always do our best to fill all requests.  

When are the new syndicates launched?

 New syndicates can be launched at any time so keep checking the website, however flat horse’s tend to be bought in the Spring Breeze Up Sales or the Autumn Yearling Sales, whereas NH horses tend to be bought in the Summer Store Sales. 

How much does a share cost?

This differs from syndicate to syndicate and in share size, but generally ranges from £1,000 up to £7,500. 

What does the price of a share include?

 It includes the cost of the horse, commissions payable to the sales companies and bloodstock agents, veterinary charges, transportation from the sales and all the administrative costs involved in registering the horses and setting up the syndicate.  Ownership is to the full value of your percentage share in your chosen racehorse, including your % of all prize money and any resale value. We deal with all the paperwork and administration for each horses’ run, enabling you to simply head to the races, where everything is organised and waiting for you! 

What do the monthly payments cover and how much does it cost?

The cost depends on the size of the share and varies from £100 pm to £375 pm depending on the size of your share. This covers:

Training
Vet’s bills (however expensive)
Farrier’s cost
Dentist’s
UK Transport
Gallop Fees
Feed
Supplements
Day-to-day stabling costs

All other related administration and racing costs, such as entry fees, the jockey’s riding fee and owners’ badges for each race meeting. 

Are there any additional fees?

Your monthly fees will never rise during the duration of your contract. The only additional cost that may arise are if we travel to race outside of the UK (usually Ireland, France or Germany) or we enter one of the more prestigious races in the UK (typically Group races or the festivals such as Royal Ascot, Goodwood or Cheltenham.). We don’t ask for a direct payment from the owners but any additional costs are deducted from any prize money on a pro-rata basis. In the event your horse doesn’t earn enough prize money to cover these extra costs, we’ll stand the charges. The good news is that if we are travelling abroad to race or are needing to pay larger entry fees, we have a horse competing at the highest level and the prize money and value of the horse more than outweighs the additional cost. 

Can owners see their horses being trained?

Absolutely !! Surrey Racing organises regular stable visits and if owners are unable to attend these visits we can arrange other days to fit in with their plans. 

What happens on race day?

Surrey Racing arranges for your Owners badges to be collected at the Owners and Trainers Entrance at the race course and then arrange a meeting point for Surrey Racing and the Owners to enjoy the raceday together, although you are of course free to enjoy your day as you wish. Surrey Racing will arrange Parade Ring passes and any additional requests such as O&T Restaurant bookings. 

How are owners kept informed? 

Owners are kept fully informed in the progress of their horse and race plans via email and WhatsApp. We also produce a weekly newsletter that has news on all of the Surrey Racing horses, racing industry news and details of the Surrey Racing social events. 

How long is the syndicate term/Can I leave the syndicate at any time?

Unlike other syndicates we don’t have a set period, although we do ask owners to commit to a minimum 12 months. 

How do we distribute the prize money?

Unlike many other syndicates, we never levy a prize-money tax on owners. 100% of every pound your horse earns is yours to keep.

The prize money displayed on the Racing Post website is the gross prize money, including all the prize money distributed between owners, trainers, jockeys and the stable. The owners’ percentage of prize money is roughly 78% for win prize money, and 83-87% for place prize money. We distribute prize money at the end of every quarter without deduction. 

What happens if a horse has to be retired from racing?

These decisions are made in conjunction with the trainer, with the welfare and best interests of the horse paramount. If a horse sustains a career ending injury, there is a duty of care attached to the horse by the owners. We and our trainers have many respected 'Retraining of Racehorses' contacts to ensure these horses find a new caring home and enjoy their new life after racing. On retirement, we ask all owners to pay one month’s additional payment to ensure our horses go to a good home and where possible share photos and videos of these horses in their new homes.