Those of us at the grass roots level of the New Zealand racing industry are getting on with business while the Racing Industry Transition Agency ('RITA') slowly implements the much-needed changes as recommended in the Messara Report.
Making racing affordable to both new & existing participants is vital and it's been a key priority since I started Challenge Racehorse Syndications at the beginning of 2012.
Buying half-million dollar yearlings at Karaka is fine, but the sums don't work too well when you ready that horse for the racetrack and he/she runs around for a $10,000 purse!
The Challenge Syndication model has always been at the other end of the cost spectrum - entry-level stuff - but it hasn't stopped us winning 9 Group and Listed races and establishing an unrivalled win-or-place strike rate of 94.73%.
The latest Challenge syndicate - launched today (you can view by CLICKING HERE) - is typical of our mantra of "affordable racing ownership, without compromise".
Starting from scratch in 2012 Challenge Syndications now has a client base in excess of 500 members. It's fair to say that a big proportion of that client base were first-time owners when they initially got involved.
Things might be tough in the racing industry right now, but one thing has never changed in my near 40 year involvement & that's the thrill of a win - be it a Maiden at Te Teko or the Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie!
And as I've just outlined, you don't have to spend thousands to be a part of it.
