Meet the 250-strong Ursa Major syndicate with 38 horses and 12 trainers - and why it feels like a 'big racing family'
In our new weekly series on racing syndicates, we meet those involved, get their take on the ownership experience and outline the key details should you wish to join. This week: Ursa Major Racing Club
The lowdown
How much does a share typically cost? The initial buy-in fee depends on the cost of the horse – most owners typically choose a 2.5 per cent share but larger shares are available. Monthly training fees for a 2.5 per cent share in one horse are typically between £50 and £60 and cover all costs including travel, although entry fees and jockey fees are taken from prize-money. A 2.5 per cent share in winning eight-year-old jumper Restandbethankful costs £300 upfront and £55pcm thereafter.
What does it get you? Each syndicate member owns a percentage of the horse they are involved with, meaning they get the same percentage of any prize-money and future sale of the horse.
Typically how many owners are there in each horse? The average would be 24 and the maximum 30. Ursa Major like to share ownership with the trainer, who in most cases will keep a 25 per cent stake in the horse.
Do syndicate members get tickets every time their horse runs? "More often than not," according to racing manager Craig Talbot, thanks to racecourses typically offering eight tickets per runner and trainers facilitating extra tickets, while the club has also paid to get members in. There will sometimes be a ballot, although Talbot says that is "very rare".
How do you communicate with members? Talbot says: "We have a WhatsApp group and a Telegram group for each horse where we keep members up to date with all the information. There's also another group where I post information about all of the runners."
How often do members get to see their horses at home? Stable visits are arranged typically four times a year.
Which type of horse does the syndicate like to buy? Both Flat and jumps, with the syndicate's most expensive horse costing £25,000. "We try to buy horses who can get out there and be competitive," says Talbot.
What success have they had? Glory And Honour won a £35,000 novice handicap chase at Doncaster last year. The syndicate has also won three Sunday Series races and this year Ashington has won two £20,000 races and Curious Rover finished fifth at Epsom on Derby day.
Is there any chance of a return on investment? "There is a chance you will get some money back at the end of the year," says Talbot, although he advises syndicate members to treat it as their hobby.
How many horses and members do Ursa Major have at the moment? 38 horses and 250 owners.
Where is the syndicate based? County Durham.
Which trainers do Ursa Major use? "We currently have 12 trainers and we're predominantly in the north, but we have Mike Murphy down in Bedfordshire and we're trying to grow the business in the south," says Talbot. The Ursa Major trainers include Mark Walford, Katie Scott, Mike Murphy, Sam England, Julie Camacho, Michael Dods, Lizzie Quinlan, Grant Tuer, Rebecca Menzies, Harriet Dickin, Craig Lidster and Ed Bethell.
More information can be found at ursamajorracing.com
The experience
Ursa Major Racing Club syndicate member Craig Wilson, 30, from Newcastle
When did you first get involved with Ursa Major? During the Covid pandemic in 2020. I'd had shares with other syndicates before but I got on well when I spoke to the syndicate manager and they had plenty of different syndicates to choose from. It fitted well with what I was looking for.
How many shares have you had with them? Having started as a little hobby through Covid, when racing was the only thing on, me and my dad now have shares in 13 different horses with Ursa. Spreading the shares between lots of horses makes it interesting and lets us go racing as much as possible.
What's been the highlight on the track? I've been involved in more than 50 winners since first joining the syndicate, so it's hard to pick out just one. My favourite horses have been The Turpinator, Event Of Sivola and Ghadbbaan, while the highlight this year has been May Blossom winning a Sunday Series race.
And biggest disappointment? We lost two horses on the track within the space of a month and that was tough. One was a favourite of mine, Event Of Sivola, who was a real trooper. He was a club favourite and we ran a memorial race for him at Hexham.
What do you like about the way Ursa Major do ownership? The communication. You get daily updates and if you're involved with one horse with Ursa it feels like you're involved with them all. I sometimes felt with other syndicates that my opinion wasn't valued, whereas now I can message the syndicate manager and get a response almost immediately. There are a lot of members but it's very personal.
How do you find sharing ownership with strangers? It's like a big racing family and always the same faces at the races, so they aren't strangers for long. There were 36 members of the club at Newcastle last week. I don't know how they do it, but if you've got a share you always seem to get a ticket for the races with Ursa.
How can racecourses improve the experience for syndicate members? A lot of racecourses have created syndicate lounges, which is a great idea, but it's not so good if it's located in the car park. Some tracks do it better than others and it would be nice to see all courses welcoming syndicates with open arms. We're not always appreciated as owners, or at least that's how it sometimes feels.
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