Forever William and Absolutely Fine Update And The Season Ahead

[Saxon Warrior]

Well done Spectre

All my questions covered, and a lot more besides.

Everyone should have no doubt about how it's all set up and how inclusive it is.

The social side would be an added bonus for those attending

[StevieDee1979]

I’m a newcomer to syndicate ownership and by most of your guys standards very much a newcomer to horse racing in general.
I recently purchased a share in FW and AF and I must say, even with only 2 leg stretching runs under our belt, I’m so glad that I have done!
Recently attended a social get together where a good time was had with some lovely people and then got to visit Dan and his Stables on my birthday and met even more lovely people involved in the syndicate.
I couldn’t believe the time and detail that Dan and his Team were taking out of a Saturday to spend with us and it was an amazing experience on so many levels.
The WhatsApp room is always full of knowledge and although I came into this with no expectations whatsoever, the idea we might have a half handy couple of horses on our hands is never a bad thing.
Last but not least, Paul was introduced to me by my cousin a couple of years ago and the way he has introduced everyone to this Syndicate and the way he has made everyone feel welcome has been second to none.
I’m so excited to meet more people as the season progresses and even though they were “leg stretches”, the buzz from watching your own horse run was quite something… Can’t imagine what the old ticker is gonna be like come Chepstow

if you’re thinking of getting involved but not sure, stop thinking and get involved. I’m pretty sure if you love horses, love racing and like the odd flutter too, you won’t regret it!

Thanks again to everyone I met at the weekend, big thanks to Paul for the Stable Tour and look forward to seeing you all again soon

[charlie]

This is a great thread Spectre, really enjoying reading about your journey.

[Oneman94]

I was also one of the lucky ones to get involved in The King!

Jono has pretty much summed up the journey and how everyone involved with the horses get to experience ownership on a Raceday, all that comes with it, and faces you see in areas of racecourse not open to the general public, the places you didn't expect the horse to bring you. We didn't expect to be Fav for a big race before the Grand National, nor to nearly win a Reynoldstown! Our horse brought us to places we didn't think we would be. You can't buy those memories or experiences (literally).

It was that good an experience and fun with all involved, that I went in again for a second horse with Paul and a few others on here.

In a nutshell, Paul is as genuine as they come, top man and very knowledgable person. Ye all know that anyways! Dan Skelton the trainer. He delivers what he says.

[Mighty]

Belatedly adding my comments to this as a minor shareholder in the smaller group that owns Spectre One (Tango). This is my first experience of ownership of any kind, so I really appreciated Paul taking the time to run me through it in detail, answering my questions and above all being absolutely clear what is and isn't included.

It has been great being part of a small syndicate with a bunch of people (including FJ members) from across the country, all with different experiences and past history of ownership too. Paul has been so open with communication on the whatsapp group, getting updates from Dan and plenty of videos and photos of the work. I'm off on Friday for the next visit to the yard to see Tango and his first run is soon, which is pretty exciting.

Its been hugely enjoyable so far, and I'd encourage anyone who's had their curiousity piqued to pick up the phone and talk it through with Paul. I haven't regretted a moment so far, and we hope there's plenty of excitement to come.

[nortonscoin200]

Going into a new venture completely blind isn’t usually a recipe for success.
So a big factor in my decision to take a small stake (with my wife and two relatives) in Spectre1 was that Paul was running the show.
We’ve all benefited from his wide-ranging racing knowledge on this forum and he obviously has tremendous drive and determination to make things work.
In a nutshell he’s someone you’d be very glad to have on your side.
And when you add Dan Skelton into the mix it’s a pretty potent package.
I never dreamed of owning (even a small part of) a racehorse but the last year has been a load of fun.
The stable visit and Dan’s friendly welcome and candid answers to every question set up a morning that will live long in the memory. His facilities are terrific. This is a trainer heading to the top. What’s more, all his staff seemed so happy in their work. It’s a great environment and horses are given every opportunity to thrive.
Paul’s regular updates combined with Dan’s video progress reports add greatly to the bonhomie of the syndicate members and the overall experience has been better than I ever imagined it could be.
If anyone is thinking of taking the plunge and joining a syndicate, for me it’s a no brainer. These guys truly know their onions and it’s a privilege to be a (very small) part of the team.

[Vautour]

I'm also a part of the Spectre One syndicate and can't recommend it enough. Having only had microshares with Owner's Group this is a completely different experience made even more enjoyable by being part of a syndicate who all really love and know their racing.

Much of what I would say has already been said by others, but what I would add it is that having Paul as the front of the syndicate dealing with Dan is a huge benefit. Paul's extremely knowledgeable about racing and punting and I get the impression is very different to the average owners and ex jockeys Dan or other trainers will deal with. As a result, we get better access than most syndicates would and I think it unlikely we would have got the option to purchase Spectre One from Dan if someone else was leading the syndicate. Whilst there is always going to be a risk in purchasing a 3 year old horse, it feels like we have been given the best odds for it to be a success.

The stable visits are excellent and Dan's insights can often pay very well - his Nurse Susan and Langer Dan tips in January paid for last years training fee alone when thrown into a double.

Spectre One hasn't run yet but a mate of mine owns a low grade horse that has been running at Kelso over the past season. He's had two wins and I've been told the buzz in the ring before and on winning is unreal so I'm looking forward to seeing Spectre One on the racetrack soon and hopefully experiencing the same.

Spectre Racing is an excellent syndicate to be a part of and if you're on the fence, take the jump and you won't be disappointed.

[Spectre]

An update on the horses:

Forever William will get his entry in the Silver Trophy next Saturday at Chepstow, which is the first valuable handicap of the season, and the feature race on the day. He'll go there with a decent chance, and he'll improve significantly for his prep run when he was in real need of the race. Despite that he toughed it out and much to everyone's surprised finished a close up 3rd after doing most of the work off the front. We were also aware that Hobbs had a very well handicapped one in there, who was made to work hard against a 80% Forever William. He had a hard blow after the race, and that'll put him spot on for next Saturday. He'll head to Cheltenham's Paddy Power Meeting after that, and then we'll pick our way through the season to get him to the Cheltenham Festival. Shares are still available in him and you also get a share in Absolutely Fine for the same price. £899 one off payment all in with nothing to pay, or £299 and £76 per month to May. I don't think I really need to say anymore about how good an opportunity he is if you wanted to get involved. You will not be able to find anything else that comes even remotely close.

Absolutely Fine will be out in the second half of the month, and we were please with his placed run on debut. He was given an educational ride to come through horses from the back, but the slow pace meant it developed into a sprint at the front. By the time the penny had dropped and he realised what he needed to do the race was effectively over. He will have learned plenty from that, and it won't be lost on him next time. The race is also working out pretty well with the 2nd and 4th both having run and won since. We think he is very well handicapped, and he has the potential to string a few wins together. He's a stayer and a bit of softer ground than he encountered at Worcester won't do him any harm. When you buy a share in Forever William you have a share in him too, and the cost remains the same.

The King Of Ryhope also runs at Chepstow on Saturday, in the race immediately after Forever William's. He'll also be fit and ready to go. He won over course and distance last season, and we hope to see a repeat win next Saturday. He was very unlucky not to win the Grade 1 Reynoldstown at Ascot last season, when he hit the last fence seemingly the only horse still on the bridle and cruising into to contention to win his race. It didn't quite happen for him when he went off a hot favourite on Grand National Day. He was possibly over the top for the season, or 3 miles on quicker ground didn't suit. It was certainly no slower than good by the time his race went off. Either way, it wasn't his running, and we'll try and get recompense for missing out on his G1 last season by targeting the Grade 1 Ascot Chase in February. Then we can assess his handicap mark and consider a big graded race or handicap at the Festivals. He is a lovely horse, and there is in fact a 10% share available in him. Please contact me if you're interested.

Other than that, I really do appreciate the support that you guys give the horses. I receive so many private messages, and it really is very much appreciated. Not least the messages above from some of the guys who are already involved in the horses. To read their messages was very humbling.

You guys that have been around for some time know that it was the Fat Jockey collective that was the motivation and inspiration for making this happen. The aim has simply been to make ownership a genuine possibility for ordinary racing fans like us. To make it a social thing, for it to be enjoyable, to do it with horses that can win races and take us to the biggest race meetings, and most of all to make it affordable, so we can do something that we never dreamed we'd be able to do. Own successful racehorses, and rub shoulders with some of the big name owners with our horses and have every bit as good a chance of winning as there's.

It's actually hard to believe that it was only 11 months ago when The King Of Ryhope was the first runner for Spectre Racing. Add in Spectre One who will run in his first Bumper in November it's been an incredible year. And to start off with two of the horses running back to back on the feature Saturday of the first big meeting of the season, with one of them in the feature race itself, is just incredible. I'd really like to say thankyou to all of those of you that have supported Spectre Racing directly and have got involved with the horses, and also to thank all of you for the incredible support you've given, and the interest you've shown in all of the horses.

[Glasgow Ronnie]

Great write up Paul and good luck with Forever William and the rest of the team for the season ahead

[Spectre]

Thanks Ronnie. It's all very exciting.