Be a racehorse owner for a day

From the archive, first published Wednesday 21st Mar 2007.

BECOME a racehorse

owner for the day -

and keep the

winnings.

That is the concept

of Boroughbridge

businessman Phil

Ambler, who has invested £250,000 in Destiny Racing Club, based at Newby Hall, near Ripon.

Destiny Racing Club has been designed to enable its members to play an active part in following the

fortunes of the club's

racehorses, all of which will be stabled and trained at

top yards in North Yorkshire.

Mr Ambler, together with Andy Bird, his fellow

director at his Boroughbridge printing

company, Premier Design And Print, took the advice of expert horse buyers before parting with money at

auction.

They also approached the best trainers in the North when seeking stables for their new investments.

Ann Duffield agreed to take three of the two-year olds at her first-class Sun Hill Farm training centre, near Leyburn.

Retired jockey Bryan Smart has a further two - including the half-sister of listed Doric Charm - under his wing at Hambleton House, near Sutton Bank, while the sixth is

progressing well with

up-and-coming Middleham trainer Jedd O'Keeffe.

Mr Ambler said: "There is nothing to beat the thrill of racing. But, for most people, actually owning their own horse can only ever be a

distant dream.

"Destiny Racing Club makes it an affordable option for anybody."

Members pay an annual £333 fee to join the club, but right now there is a special offer of £150 for anyone signing up before May 11.

A Destiny member can be owner for the day either by placing the lowest unique bid, or on other occasions, through a random draw.

Bids by phone or text can be as low as one pence and successful if it is the lowest and only bid received at that price. However low, each bid costs £1.

"You could bid pennies and potentially come away with thousands of pounds," Mr Ambler said.

"The chance we are

offering for members to be an owner for the day and keep any prize money from the day makes the club unique.

"One of our horses -

Sweet Destiny - is entered into a race at Ascot later this year that has a prize fund of £250,000, so it has the potential to be a

fantastic return on

investment!"

For further information on Destiny Racing Club, phone 01423 329005.