When progressive mare Baby Face (NZ) (Savabeel) lined up at Te Rapa earlier this month you could have been forgiven for thinking half the grandstand was there to cheer her on.
The five-year-old Savabeel mare duly won the rating 65 1600m contest and returned to a raucous reception from a group who have taken the plunge into a new ownership concept introduced under the Stride Racing Club (SRC) brand.
Fractional ownership, as it is technically known, is becoming increasingly popular in racing jurisdictions around the world, particularly in the USA, UK and Australia and has been introduced to the New Zealand market by thoroughbred racing enthusiasts Matt Cruickshank and Chris Monaghan.
The basic concept is to introduce people into the world of racehorse ownership on an affordable basis through a low-priced monthly subscription that provides racing enthusiasts with the opportunity to enjoy the thrill of thoroughbred ownership for a fraction of the price.
Cruickshank and Monaghan come from media and publishing backgrounds and are long-time thoroughbred owners and passionate racing enthusiasts. They have always believed that horse ownership should be about the experience first.
“We wanted to provide an opportunity for members to not only be owners, but to learn about the industry, meet the people that make the industry tick and be treated to visiting the magic places within the industry,” Cruickshank said.
The pair have put plenty of time and energy into developing the Stride Racing Club concept, including collaborating with three of New Zealand’s best-known stud farms – Waikato Stud, Windsor Park Stud and Haunui Farm – forming partnerships that allow Club members to race three horses through fractional lease shares at a monthly membership fee of $59.
“When we were thinking about it all we felt the industry needed an affordable and easy way to get involved in ownership as a first step that can then provide a conduit to moving into greater involvement,” Cruickshank said.
“When we discussed it all, we knew we needed to partner with industry groups and our first port of call would be the studs as we looked for what horses might be available to lease for the club.
“A lot of people see the studs as a bit of a mystery hidden behind big gates, but when you deal with them you quickly find out they are really personable, engaging and keen for people to get to know more of what they do.
“Through Waikato Stud we managed to source Baby Face as a horse that would be up and running for us immediately, while we also have a Rageese two-year-old from Windsor Park and a Showcasing two-year-old filly from Haunui Farm.
“The two-year-olds have both been broken in and have come through their first preps.
“Stephen McKee has the Showcasing filly while Stephen Marsh has the Rageese filly along with Baby Face.”
The Club is also developing relationships with other industry bodies including New Zealand Bloodstock, the Auckland Racing Club and the Waikato Racing Club.
“The concept is also all about the total racing experience, with members getting to enjoy all the ownership entitlements on race day, with behind-the-scenes opportunities, meet-and-greet with trainers, jockeys and racing personalities,” Cruickshank said.
“All of our partners have been just superb and we are currently working with the Auckland Racing Club on a naming competition for the Showcasing filly which ran in their Boxing Day race book and will be in again on New Year’s Day.
“Communication is a big part of our operations, so Club communication will be through UK-founded owners’ communication app, The Racing Manager.
“Racing Manager is a step above anything we have seen in New Zealand and Australia, so we’re really excited to partner with TRM to launch into our part of the world.
“It’s pretty much like Facebook for horses and allows us to lift our communication to a new level.”
Cruickshank and Monaghan are also working on other initiatives for Club members including stud and stable tours along with education on all aspects of the thoroughbred, with horse welfare a major focus.
“During our stable tours we will be looking at all aspects of how the horses are looked after on a daily basis and importantly, what happens when their racing life is over,” Cruickshank said.
“We want to make sure people know what happens with them and just how loved they are by the people who work with them.
“Currently we are also looking at how we can get members along to the yearling sales at Karaka at the end of the month as that is such a fascinating side of the business and provides a great way to meet with so many of the different groups who make up the racing industry.”
In the meantime, Cruickshank and Monaghan will be looking to make it two wins in a row for Stride Racing with Baby Face set to line up over 2100m at the popular holiday meeting at Tauranga on January 2.