"Brilliant" Shared Ownership days to the fore

Back in March, I took a look back at Shared Ownership Days which took place in 2025 following a partnership between the Racehorse Syndicates Association and Jockey Club Racecourses. I mentioned at the time the Racehorse Owners Association were setting up a series of similar events in 2026. With these fully underway, it seemed a good time to revisit this topic, writes Phil Boyle.

You may have noticed that this page has featured a list of upcoming Shared Ownership Days each month and this will continue throughout 2026, with over 30 racecourses signing up to run an event. It is  great to see the industry coming together to support initiatives like this that bring new owners into the sport and provide an opportunity for the ROA to engage with existing owners and racegoers.

So, why should you be interested? 

Well, a small proportion of the readers of this magazine will be responsible for syndicates or racing clubs and it is good to highlight why you might want to get involved. However, most readers are already involved in ownership and might feel that these events are not relevant to them. In some cases that may be true, but whilst traditionally shared ownership has been a stepping stone towards partnership and sole ownership, increasing we are hearing of sole owners who are adding shared ownership to their portfolio.

There are two drivers for this move into shared ownership: diversification and camaraderie. We all know that owning a racehorse (or several) comes at a cost and increasingly, owners are using syndicates to enjoy additional stable visits and more trips to the races.

The social aspect of shared ownership can also be attractive. Yes, it is nice to invite friends to come racing when we have a runner, but a syndicate can end up being a new group of friends – and it is a group of people who are as invested as you are in the success of the horse. 

Syndicates come in all shapes and sizes and there is sure to be one with a horse that you are interested in with a shareholding level that suits your budget. If one of the Shared Ownership Days is happening near you, why not go along and take a look?

The Shared Ownership Days have been a great success so far, with several having already taken place. One was at York during the Dante meeting and saw Kate Freeman and David Letts from the Racehorse Owners Association interviewed on Racing TV and ITV Racing, promoting both shared ownership and the work that the ROA is doing to retain existing owners in the sport.

The bad news is that if you run a syndicate or racing club and you are not attending any of these events, then you are missing the chance to promote your offering for free with racegoers. However, all is not  lost as there are plenty more opportunities to do so!

Trainer Rebecca Menzies has already attended a couple of the events to promote her racing club and syndicates. She said: “These days are a brilliant initiative. At the end of the day, getting more people involved in shared ownership benefits the entire sport through more engaged fans and additional income. We have found the days to be so beneficial; they provide an opportunity to promote to racing fans at no cost and it is something we are really pleased to support. 

“We have had over 500 competition entries on the days at Cartmel and Hexham as well as lots of additional engagements with racegoers. The social media coverage is also a great chance to reach new  audiences. 

“We are grateful to the industry for putting these days on and to the ROA for coordinating them centrally. I would recommend them to any licensed club/syndicate managers, as well as any owners looking to find out more about the different options available.”