Ownership syndicates warned challenging period lies ahead as pandemic spreads

The financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic is going to present a stern challenge for ownership syndicates in Britain, the Racing Syndicates Association (RSA) has warned.

With the economic crisis on a global scale, there are fears syndicate members might struggle to make payments, and ownership groups are set to suffer with the prospect of no racing in Britain until the end of April at the earliest.

RSA chairman Dan Abraham said: "It's a very difficult time for syndicators and many well-run syndicates are going to find things very difficult. If people drop out of syndicates or stop paying their monthly standing orders then syndicators are left to pay the training and keep bills.

"Syndicators are then left with the impossible choice of selling the horses even though most of the members have continued to pay, or having to cover the costs for those that have dropped out."

Abraham is racing manager for Foxtrot Racing, a syndicate that had been hoping to run Grand Sefton winner Hogan's Height in the Randox Health Grand National.

"To own a horse running in the Grand National was beyond a dream," said syndicate member Phil King.

"I've grown up watching the Grand National and to have a runner would have been incredible. All my family and friends were just as excited and many had hotels booked and some were coming racing for the first time. I understand the Grand National being off but I can't pretend I'm not really disappointed."

Foxtrot Racing had been busy making new recruits prior to the abrupt end to the season and a summer jumping campaign is in the pipeline for some of its 21 horses.

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