FAQ

We limit the number of owners involved in each horse, in order to keep ownership with us as personal as possible - the average number per syndicate being 16. We DO NOT use a ballot system for Owners' race day badges.

The contract runs from the date that cleared funds are received and is for a MINIMUM of 12 months for Flat horses and 24 months for National Hunt horses. After that point, we require one month's notice to cancel. The contract ends when the syndicate sells the horse or agrees to the retirement of the horse which can happen at any point after the contract start date.

You can choose to release your share and leave the syndicate when the 12 or 24 months is up, however the upfront payment will be relinquished.

The upfront payment includes the purchase price of the horse, vetting at the sales, ‘GBB' bonus registration (if applicable), sales house commission (5 - 7.5% of the auction price), agents commission (typically 2.5 - 5%), transportation to your horses’ trainer, the breaking in of the horse and pre-training, plus training fee’s up to the month that the monthly payment begins. Upfront payments do not include ‘Sales Race’ or any entries prior to start of the monthly payments. We will not ask for an additional purchase price payment for any of the horses’ additional years, you just continue with the monthly payments if you continue your contract.

The monthly payment is guaranteed to cover all training expenses: Veterinary treatment, blacksmiths, breaking in, training, transport to and from the racecourse, food and living costs & all associated administration, the jockey’s riding fee and your badge/s (the number depending on the % of the horse that is owned-see below) for the race meeting are all included. Your monthly fee will remain unaffected should other members of the syndicate choose to leave.

Ownership to the full value of your percentage share in your chosen racehorse, including your % of all prize money and any resale value and free entry to the owners and trainers’ enclosure (see 'Do I receive an owner's badge when my horse races' below) at the racecourse when your horse runs. Invites to stable visits; both where your horse is stabled and the other trainers on the MPR roster. 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! We also hold unique owner events, such as an annual flat season private box launch on Lincoln Day at Doncaster, private boxes at meetings and pre/post stable visit social gatherings with syndicate members, which you will have access to. (Lease shareholders are not entitled resale proceeds, but are entitled to all the other benefits listed above.)

Race entries which cost over £50, and entries for races outside of the UK (all such entry costs including all forfeit stages,) plus transport for overseas races, are charged at cost price then pro-rata to your share – this then comes out of your share of the prize money that your horse wins. If, in the horse's lifetime it does not earn enough from prize money or sales proceeds to cover these entries, then any negative balance would not be charged to you.

There is a 5% annual uplift in monthly training fees for both full ownership shareholders and lease shareholders.

You can pay the upfront share cost by direct bank transfer or by cheque. The monthly training fees, if not paid upfront, as some owners choose to do, can be paid by direct debit

When you purchase a share, the horse is not insured. However, you may choose to insure your share and this can be done independently or alternatively we can assist you with that. We would require written confirmation stating that you would like us to look into insuring your share. Alternatively, we will occasionally write to a syndicate asking if you would like the horse to be insured at a stated value (this is normally for ‘pattern’ race performers.)

We do welcome opinion from each syndicate member regarding your horses' racing plans with your syndicate manager. Your manager will always be available by phone or email, to discuss options for the horse and plans will be detailed through our owner updates.

We organise year-round open mornings at every trainers’ yard, both during the on and off season. This allows you plenty of opportunities to get up close & personal with your horse, hear the trainer’s thoughts and meet up with fellow syndicate members. Many owners choose to join the team to continue racing discussions over lunch at a local public house!

The wellbeing of the Horse will be of paramount importance and the strategy for the management and racing of the Horse shall always be subject to the advice of the trainer and if necessary, at any time, the vets. We pride ourselves on treating each horse as an individual, not just a number within our whole string, therefore the amount of starts during a season can vary from syndicate to syndicate. Some horses thrive on racing, some appreciate a bit of time between starts; therefore, each syndicate manager will be in frequent contact with each trainer regarding the well being, race planning and strategy of every horse. 

Yes. When you purchase or lease a share, your contract will tell you how many complimentary race-day badges you are entitled to i.e. according to the % share owned/leased: 2.5% = 1 badge, 5% or more = 2 badges. When your horse is declared to run, (48 hours beforehand), you will receive an email with the race card and also asking you if you would like to attend. There is an important deadline to this request and we also ask for the full name/s of those who would like to apply for a badge. At major race Festivals, we cannot always guarantee badges for all owners who wish to attend, as some racecourses limit the number of 'Owner and Trainer' badges per horse at such meetings.

Yes. At the majority of meetings, you have the opportunity to buy additional badges to the number your share size allocation entitles you to, providing you have let us know beforehand. This is not always possible at the bigger racing festivals, such as Royal Ascot, The Epsom Derby meeting, the Qatar Goodwood Festival etc. as the racecourses strictly limit certain enclosure badge numbers (as mentioned above). In such instances, we work very hard with the courses and owners to make as many badges available for owners and their guests. 

Yes, this is not a problem, we will do our very best to make your gift special.

Every horse has a designated syndicate manager, who is your first point of contact regarding your horse. During the racing season, you will receive updates via email or audio email message in respect of your horses' progress, race plans, entries and declarations. Every time your horse is declared to run, you’ll receive a race preview and a review afterwards, once your syndicate manager has the race report from the trainer. We will also send you photographs and videos of your horse when available. Off season, updates will be less frequent, as if your horse is out of training or as we say ‘on holiday’, there will be less to report on, however we still hold stable visits to see our horses out of season and will keep you up to date on any news.

Each horse is reviewed towards the end of every season by the relevant syndicate manager and you will be kept informed of any plans. Decisions are based on the performance, rating, estimated value and likely potential returns for the owners, whether through likely future racing achievements or re-sale value. We do our best to suggest selling at the right time and all owners are asked for their opinion to aid the decision making. We use the respected 'Horses-In-Training' sales held throughout the year at the main sales houses in the UK (Tattersalls and Goffs) when our horses come to the end of their racing career with us. 

Offers are sometimes made during the season from buyers for our horses, these are usually ‘Pattern’ race performers. We have a tremendous record of buying horses well and selling them at the right time, earning a maximum return for the syndicate. Your syndicate manager will inform you of such an offer and ask for your vote to sell or not sell. The syndicate vote has to reach 65% for the offer to be accepted. If your horse is sold, rather than retired, you will receive your percentage of the selling price. For example, if you owned a 5% share of the horse you would receive 5% of the selling price although this is dependent on how and where the horse is sold, as applicable commissions and fees will be due, such as sales house or sale agent, trainer, MPR etc. Note that if your horse is withdrawn from a sale, there will be a withdrawal fee payable.

Unlike other syndicates, you will receive the share of the prize money you are entitled to if your horse is placed or wins. For example, if you own a 5% share, you receive 5% of any owners’ prize money won. ‘Gross’ prize money (which you will see at the top of race cards on the Racing Post website), includes all prize money distributed between owners, trainers and jockeys. The ‘owner’s percentage’ is about 78% for a win and then ranges from 83-87% for a place depending on the placed position. Please note MPR charge 5% commission on the gross prize money earned. Payment is usually made in December for both Flat and National Hunt horses

Owners statements are prepared annually in December, summarising every owners financial account. If an account includes the proceeds of sold horses via sales houses then payments are sent after the sales proceeds have been received, which can take a minimum of 6 weeks to be sent out to us and clear.

No. Owners payments to MPR don't include VAT. MPR cover any VAT payments on behalf of owners and then reclaim it if applicable.

Yes. The syndicate manager oversees how the winner’s prizes are distributed between the winning owners who are present at the racecourse. We aim to ensure that within each syndicate, trophies, photos, champagne and race DVD’S are fairly distributed amongst the owners during the season. 'Pattern race' trophies are assigned at the discretion of the syndicate manager (some of these are perpetual and have to be given back to the racecourse.)

These decisions are made in conjunction with the trainer and the best interests of the horse are paramount. When a horse is retired from racing, it’s anticipated that owners should remain in the horse until a suitable home is found. 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. We often share photos and videos of these horses in their new homes in our monthly newsletter. In retirement, Burnt Sugar and Mulligatawny won 1st and 2nd in their first 'show' which we are all very proud of and their new owner adores them!

This does not make a difference to the share costs of other share holders, or to the racing plans of the horse. MPR will hold the remaining shares if they are not all sold by the time a horse begins it's racing career.

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We are members of the RSA (The Racehorse Syndicates Association), which is recognised by the BHA (British Horseracing Authority), ROA (Racehorse Owners Association) and NTF (National Trainers Federation). Membership is subject to the acceptance of the Association's Conditions of Membership and the BHA's Code of Conduct for Syndicates. We are aligned and compliant with the BHA’s rules on Syndication Management.

YES, you can. We have even had horses named after an owners business!

We have owners who live all around the World - Australia, Singapore, the USA and all around Europe, so all are welcome!

If a horse sustains a career ending injury, there is a duty of care attached to the horse by the owners. After the horse has received the treatment and recuperation it requires, Middleham Park Racing will then endeavour to find the horse, a happy home to spend its retirement from racing, as soon as possible. It’s anticipated that owners should remain.