CEO Blog: Syndicates in focus

Recent events surrounding Deva Racing have inevitably attracted attention. When concerns arise, it is important that they are taken seriously and, crucially, that affected owners know where they can turn for support. The ROA will continue to be there for our members and the wider ownership community, working closely with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and the Racehorse Syndicates Association (RSA). 

However, cases such as this should not be allowed to define the shared ownership landscape. Indeed, they reinforce why maintaining high standards, transparency and confidence in this increasingly 
important section of our sport matters. 

Every week, syndicates and racing clubs across Britain are providing thousands of people with positive and memorable ownership experiences. They make racehorse ownership more accessible, create communities and connection, and provide an accessible entry point for people who might never previously have considered themselves potential owners. For racing, that represents a significant opportunity. 

We know from recent research that people who are already attending the races are often likely to be receptive to deepening their connection with the sport. They have made the decision to spend a day at the races, they understand the excitement and spectacle, and many have a desire to become more involved. Moving from racegoer to part-owner is a very natural step. 

That insight is one of the reasons we have created, together with the RSA, a series of 27 days for shared ownership entities to showcase themselves directly to racegoers on British racecourses.  

Bringing these opportunities into the racecourse environment is important. Rather than expecting prospective owners to navigate the ownership landscape alone, we can connect them directly with syndicate managers, often linked to the local area, giving them the opportunity to ask questions and explore the options available while they are already engaged with the sport. The ROA is also on hand to offer impartial guidance and help those interested understand the practical steps involved in taking their first steps into ownership. 

As we enter September, that sense of opportunity feels particularly timely. The yearling sales season is underway and, once again, owners, trainers and syndicate managers will be looking for the horses that might carry their colours and their hopes in the seasons ahead. For many shared ownership entities, the sales are also the beginning of another story: a new horse and potentially a new group of  people experiencing ownership for the first time.  

We have introduced a section on the ROA website dedicated to shared ownership (roa.co.uk/sharedownership), bringing together practical information and guidance, including a link to Inthepaddock.co.uk, where shared ownership entities and opportunities can be explored. It’s a simple, useful resource, and part of our wider work to support a thriving shared ownership landscape. 

There are many excellent syndicate and racing club operators throughout our sport and collectively we should be confident in telling the positive story of shared ownership and its important role in racing’s 
future. If we can do that, shared ownership can play a major role not only in retaining the owners we have today but in creating the ownership community British racing needs for tomorrow.