A racing syndicate formed to support stable staff affected by the coronavirus pandemic will host its first open day this month.
4 Racing v Covid 19 is offering 100 shares in four-year-old mare Snowy Burrows, who is in training with Rebecca Menzies.
More than half of the 1% shares have already been sold, with proceeds going to Racing Welfare and mental health charity Riders Minds.
The syndicate, the brainchild of business partners and racing fans Graham Arnold and Ian Griffiths, was launched in June this year.
“We were having a discussion and saying it was a shame that the pandemic would affect the people at the roots of the sport the most, with some already furloughed and some laid off,” Graham said. “Initially we thought we would host a simple Gofundme appeal and collect donations and but then we thought ‘we could get a horse instead’.”
Graham contacted Rebecca Menzies, who has already been supporting the NHS through her horse Rainbow Applause, and said she was “nothing but for the idea”.
Rebecca, who is based at Howe Hills Farm near Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, sourced the French- bred mare, who is by Monmartre.
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“She’s grey and very pretty and a lot of people have seen her pic and fallen in love with her,” Graham said.
“Initially we thought she might run on the Flat but she is showing promise over hurdles at home.”
He added that they wanted to keep the syndicate small so that it felt more like a “club” and gave people a good opportunity to experience being an owner, while supporting the racing industry.
“With small numbers it means people have a good chance of getting an owner’s badge when the horse runs and for those that don’t, we’ll still meet up with them at the course,” Graham said.
Snowy Burrows’ first run is planned for the autumn but syndicate members and those interested in joining can visit the horse at Rebecca’s yard on 29 August, an open day. Racing commentator and syndicate ambassador Derek Thompson will also be there, and will host his Saturday morning The Morning Line Reborn show from the yard.
Syndicate shares cost £325, and can be paid monthly, with the lease running from July 1 2020 to June 30 2021.
“We will have the option to renew the lease after that,” Graham said. “Rebecca has done us a cracking deal for training the horse and we aren’t taking any management fees, so all the remaining money goes back into the fund.”
4 Racing is also hosting a monthly raffle to win a share in Snowy Burroughs and has just commissioned a painting of the three great racing sires Sadlers Wells, Galileo and Danehill.
“We’re hoping that will be auctioned off and raise a lot of money and we also hope we can sell some
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