Horse racing syndicates are an accessible way for anybody to get involved in racehorse ownership. Owning thoroughbred racehorses and paying for them to be trained and cared for is expensive, without the actual costs of getting them to the races and ridden by a jockey. Syndicates bring people into the ownership game and they should keep that person up to date with regular updates on the progress of their horse. Not all syndicates deliver this, and members can feel that their experience is light, and involvement is minimal. Without the members, a syndicate is nothing. 

The Gold and Green Crowd have an outstanding community of syndicate members who are the driving force behind everything they do. One of the Gold and Green Crowd’s loyal members comes from across the pond in America. 

Lisa Santora has had a life-long passion for horses and now, at the age of 60 years-old, is a part of several different syndicates from all over the world. 

For Lisa, it is the communication level between the syndicate and herself that truly attracts her to one and not another. At her age, she rarely travels to racecourses anymore, so this communication is key. Lisa says, ‘I have dropped a number of clubs over the years who didn’t stay in touch well.’ You are not just buying a share for the potential winnings, you want the experience of owning part of that horse. For some syndicates that may entail sending out weekly videos or updates on the horse, just keeping the members up to date on how their horse is doing. As for the Gold and Green Crowd, Lisa was and continues to be very impressed with how much communication she receives. 

All the way over in America, it would be easy for Lisa to feel far removed from the syndicate and specifically, the horses themselves. However, ‘Gold and Green does a great job letting us know what is happening with the horses. I always know what is going on.’

In addition to the constant communication, it was the Gold and Green Crowd’s model that also enticed Lisa to the syndicate. Several other syndicates Lisa was involved with engage members with one horse at a time. However, at the Gold and Green Crowd, members are engaged in several different horses, which ‘was a plus for [Lisa] .’

Lisa’s love for horses spans over four decades. As a child, her father got a horse for her and her sister. This is where Lisa’s passion was initially ignited. Whilst Lisa did not ride the horses, ‘my sister was the talented one in that regard’, she was always on hand to do the manual work of feeding, brushing and caring for them. Lisa recalls one year when ‘my father subscribed to a western magazine and there was an ad for The Blood-Horse in there. He asked me if I would like to read it… and I learned how to read past performances.’ Reading about past races, as well as tending to her own horses at a young age set Lisa off on a path to become a life-long equestrian fan.

It has been some time since Lisa visited a racecourse, but she remembers ‘seeing the horses in the paddock under the trees [at Keeneland Racecourse in Kentucky] and that was always very pleasant.’ Despite not having gone to the races for many years, Lisa recalls her favourite horse with unwavering accuracy. ‘I remember him so well, Seattle Slew. His racing years of 1976 to 1978 are like yesterday to me.’ Lisa recalls being asked to write an essay in school on any topic she wished, so naturally she wrote about ‘how I thought Seattle Slew would be the one to carry on the Bold Ruler sire line. And, thankfully, that occurred.’

Throughout her years of being a fan of the races, Lisa describes her most cherished moment, which, not surprisingly, involves her favourite horse. She details the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup where, although Seattle Slew lost out to Exceller, ‘it was probably the greatest race I have ever seen. [Seattle Slew] came on again and likely would have won, had the race been a bit longer.’ This goes to prove that winning isn’t everything in racing. It is the roar of the crowd, the anticipation and hope of a great race that brings people to the edge of their seats time and time again.

Lisa Santora is the definition of a life-long fan, someone who has dedicated time and effort to a sport that she loves. As a seasoned syndicate member, her advice to newcomers is, ‘it’s more fun to own lower level horses that compete in the Class 6 level or so; it is so much fun when they win. Often they don’t win, but when they do, it’s such fun!’ In regards to different syndicates around the world, Lisa puts forward that ‘Australian racing is very exciting. As is UK racing. There are some excellent groups in Australia to be involved in.’

In closing, Lisa believes that she has been ‘very fortunate’ to have been involved in syndicates around the world that are ‘run by terrific people’. We are all here for the horses, that is evident. However, it is the people around the horses, those who are strong members of the sport, those who run the syndicates and beyond, who can make or break the experience of owning shares in horses. When you find those amazing people who have a passion as strong and steadfast as your own, that is when the experience is made worthwhile.

https://youtu.be/zwOImSrzmCg