Smaller owners will never win

Nobody said horse racing was cheap but for the few of us who are thinking of obtaining a horse or a share or watever the case the hidden cost are quite the deterrent. After the initial payment for the horse and its keep you havta register with the nhra to obtain your colours for which you may never see on the race track (being a smaller owner with a smaller share) but you still need to pay the full price over to the nhra. Just a small observation i have noted as to the injustices to the smaller owners in the game. I know the nhra are the horseracing regulators but i do feel this rule should be amended. Anyway just my opinion, maybe im just clueless

mvp1 - I have been in and out of racing a couple of times over the last 20 years. When I have returned after a break and bought a horse I have usually only re-applied for colours a couple of months before the horse is actually due to run. Often the colours you held previously are still available so you will have saved yourself that cost whilst inactive.

To be fair - colour applications are handled quite quickly.

I have normally registered the horse in my name without colours & simply just advised the NHRA that I would apply for colours closer to the horse running. You can save yourself the cost of colour registration + annual renewal whilst the horse is spelling or being prepared. To the best of my knowledge you can own a horse without being a colour holder but obviously cannot race it.

Be advised that there are three expenses to be dealt with during this process :

1. Application for colours.
2. Transfer of ownership into your name/partnership.
3. Authority to act for your trainer.

Sadly all of these costs have risen quite significantly in recent years.

You might also wish to join the Racing Association which is another expense.

Best of luck if you proceed.

Its not cheap, i pay for individual and syndicate colours and have done for many years.

There is always a cost related to any documents that has to be signed eg change of ownership etc

Have always dealt with a lady Jenny whom i have found extremely efficient and helps me with badges and any other concerns.

When you do lead that winner into the number one box all these little problems disappear.

Thanks Garrick and Dave for your invaluble input..dave im sure theres no greater feeling than watching your filly/colt crossing the finishing line and leading them into the winners enclosure

I'm sure the cost and regulations are just to stop undesirables and multiple applicants?

mvp1 wrote: Thanks Garrick and Dave for your invaluble input..dave im sure theres no greater feeling than watching your filly/colt crossing the finishing line and leading them into the winners enclosure

That's a good feeling. But an even better feeling is having no horses in training and actually having some money to spend! Lol.

Taken for a ride (every word is true).

I once had a ride on a very impressive roller coaster.

It was very expensive. I waited for ages in a long queue, more than an hour, and even debated turning it up at about halfway. The ride was awesome, no other word describes it, it was worth every cent. Somewhere I even lost my gift bag with stuff I had bought earlier. I'm glad I did it. I often tell the story. I wont be doing it again. I've got a picture of me doing the thing somewhere. I would recommend anyone to give it a go.

Well if you have a few maidens and battling handicappers you could have certainly increased your chances of higher ROI's by having entered them into Saturday's big race day card at the Big T. These races have been avoided like the plague. There is an abundance of these types of horses and their run-of-the-mill owners keep complaining about stakes. The only maiden race of the day has ten runners. Now dont be blaming Phum for scheduling the "wrong" types of races. The late Flash Harry would be saying "malaka's"

I do agree with you mvp1 if you are late with registering your color's you pay a penalty for late payment and also there are trainers that cannot train a flee to jump on a dogs back but as long as you are paying your monthly fee you will hear all the bullshit to why the horse ran a bad race and also do not forget about the nominations because your horse gets nominated and then scratched you pay whether the horse runs or not so it is a no win situation even though we love the game. I know of a lot of small owners that are out of the game because of all the bullshit.

MVP 1 as long as expectations are not high you will enjoy the racing ownership. Tottenham having a go at your trainer or trainers who cannot train a flea ... response is take their calls and settle outstanding bills before saying its all bullshit and you love the game , horses can only run up to their ability ....why must trainers have to run after owners for bills .

Len there I cant agree with you bud, that (outstanding monies) has nothing to do with their ability to be horseman ! Their inability to train horses has cost the industry many many small owners over the years. I foresee a large amount of these trainers leaving the industry in the next few years as money becomes tighter. BS is what makes owners sour as NO other industry in the world is run on EXCUSES like the racing industry is.
Bad debts are part of every industry in world, the only difference is here you are dealing with a live animal that cant be put on a shelf somewhere.
We breed too many horses in SA every year and the breeding industry needs to find a way to curtail these numbers.
From the "fat cats" riding the gravy-train upstairs to the groom the whole industry needs to be streamlined and become more efficient for it to survive.

Len Sham wrote: MVP 1 as long as expectations are not high you will enjoy the racing ownership. Tottenham having a go at your trainer or trainers who cannot train a flea ... response is take their calls and settle outstanding bills before saying its all bullshit and you love the game , horses can only run up to their ability ....why must trainers have to run after owners for bills .

yes agreed owners must pay up but then surely the onus is on the trainer to inform the owner that his/her horse is just not good enough to continue racing.