PACER/TROTTER INFO

[ryles-kennels]

Hi ALL!

I am looking for some info on the costs involved and the best person to contact in regards to Pacer/Trotter syndicates. Obviously i know the costs involved with Greyhounds but i am also looking at what the start up costs and ongoing costs are with the pacers.

CHEERS GEOFF!

[IAmTheWarrior]

I've managed a few syndicates lately- generally we've leased the horses (fillies) from their breeders but we have also leased mares and bred a couple as well. For first timers I recommend getting a horse that's already "going" because generally the wait to get to the races is not so long.

In Vic (and assuming you've got a horse with a bigger trainer) you should budget around $1400/month while the horse is in work and racing (costs include travelling to races etc) when it's just working up to the races it might be up to $1200/month. Horses are generally in the paddock for 12 weeks of the year @ $12 per day so you can factor that into your budget as well.

With our syndicates (10 shares, people can split their shares amongst a group but one person is responsible for that shares $$) we've all put in say $400 to start with so that there's a bit of a bank in case there are any unexpected vet bills and for any of the things that the horse needs that the syndicate pays for (with some trainers you buy your rugs and your hopples, with others you don't). We then pay $100 per month into a bank account regardless of whether the horse is in work or in the paddock and then review what's in the bank and what we're going to do with it (roll it over, give a dividend etc) at the end of each racing season. Then when the horse is finished racing then whatever's in the bank after all the bills is divided up between the syndicate members. If you're buying a horse then you'll need to factor in the purchase price as well.

We sent a horse to Adelaide last year and a couple of guys dropped out so that syndicate is down to 8 shares- however, we've found the costs in Adelaide have been far cheaper (around $800 per month) so we haven't had to adjust anything. The main reasons for the difference are (a) in Adelaide our trainer trains from GDP so doesn't have the same capital costs as our trainers in Vic who had their own large properties with tracks that they maintain themselves; and (b) far less travel to the races.

The main points to remember for syndicate members are- (1) you must be prepared to throw this money away with no return- sure you want to get a horse that will pay its way but many don't so treat this like a bit of fun (2) you must be prepared to sign up for some minimum commitment (say until the end of a horse's 3yo season for us because the horses we've had have started with us as yearlings) this doesn't mean that the horse can't be "sacked" on the advice of the trainer but it just means that you've got a minimum expectation of how long you'll be throwing that money away for.

If you want to lease a horse, many of the major breeders will lease out their fillies for a few years but they will need to go to approved trainers. Generally people with horses find it easier to find new ones about the place than beginners so if you're interested I suggest you find a few trainers that you think are having a bit of success and go and introduce yourself to them. Talk to them about what you want and then if you like them and think they're trustworthy then get them to look for a horse for you (Don't be afraid to talk to some of their other owners- the good ones are only too happy to introduce you to other stable clients)

With our syndicates we've had a few wins but probably not enough to have kept us going if it hadn't been for the syndicate bbqs at the stables, dinners at the pub and days/nights at the races that have made our $100 a very social investment. For us it's been important to have trainers that were happy to have us rock up at their stables with very little notice for a chat and to watch our horses go round and we've been lucky enough to find them. I've been going to the trots for a long time but many of our syndicate members were first timers so for them, part of the value has been learning all about gear, race tactics, training regimes etc as well as feeling like they're part of the "scene". If you've got mostly first timers in your syndicate then i suggest you start with a bigger name trainer. They're not necessarily the best but if you start there and then have to move the horse to a smaller trainer that suits it better then there aren't any issues with "why didn't we send this to such and such- they're always winning races".

Just on "syndicates"- here in Vic (and I assume Australia wide)- if you have 11 people or more you need to form a syndicate which needs to be registered and then renewed annually, if you have 10 people or less then all owners can have their names in the race book.

Hope this is useful. Happy to answer any questions if I can.

cheers
IATW

[chiefy]

HI GEOFF, MANY TRAINERS ON AVERAGE CHARGE $20 TO $25 A DAY.SUM CHARGE $28. OTHER COSTS INCLUDED ARE
- SHOEING ($60-$80 ONCE A MONTH)
- WORMING ($20, ONCE A NEW HORSE ARRIVES)
- TEETH ($20, ONCE A NEW HORSE ARRIVES)
- PETROL ( IF YOU RACE AT GLOBE DERBY AND YOUR
BASED IN GAWLER AREA, TALKING THRU
EXPERIENCE, $30 IS WHAT I GET CHARGHED,
EACH TIME IT RACES.
- TRIALS ($7-$10. NOT SURE HOW MUCH COS THE
TRAINER GETS BILLED WHEN HE NOMINATES
BUT ITS ROUGHLY THAT)

THEN ONCE U HAVE GOT YOUR HORSE, REGESTRATION OF OWNERSHIP COSTS $ 55 (INCLUDED IS G.S.T) AND THAT IS A MUST.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES, RING ME ON 0410421089.

[chiefy]

but you've got to watch out who you get involved with!!!!!! if you get involved with blokes like SHOUT US OR BULLSH!T you'll do your's, weather it's your behind or cups of dollar coins!

your better off speaking to a bloke like centerman, cos he's very close to the bloke to recently trained the gawler cup winner, he'll help ya out, or put you on the right track!!!

hope this helps,

reguards CHIEFY!

[ryles-kennels]

Cheers Chiefy and Warrior!

I am more looking at the costs involved in joining a syndicate rather than starting one of my own.

[STRUTTER]

Yes i know a bloke in adelaide who you can get a horse off and they always grow a leg...................sometimes two

[chiefy]

Yes i know a bloke in adelaide who you can get a horse off and they always grow a leg...................sometimes two

who's the bloke?