Jaccka Emberz could be the horse to ignite the smouldering fire inside punters who have never owned a pacer before.
That's the hope of local administrators as the Forbury Park Trotting Club makes its first steps into horse syndication.
The club has combined with experienced syndicators goHarness Syndication to give Otago racing fans a chance to experience the thrill of owning a horse.
The first syndicate is restricted to 100 shares and involves a one-off payment of $100 followed by payments of $50 a month.
Horses would normally be sourced on a leasing arrangement, but Jaccka Emberz - a winner of one of his 17 starts - was bought to ensure the syndicate could see a horse racing sooner rather than later.
''We've moved fast on it because Jaccka Emberz became available to us and we've secured that,'' Forbury Park general manager John Ayoub said.
''Predominantly we will lease them, but we bought this one at a good price.''
The horse will continue to be trained by Roxburgh trainers Geoff and Jude Knight. Ayoub said Westwood Beach trainer Amber Hoffman will be the syndicate's other main trainer.
''There might be other trainers invited but that will be up to the syndicate,'' he said.
The syndicate has been called Forbury Fun, as part of the goal of the club is to attract more people from Otago and Southland to race meetings at the track.
''The whole principle behind the syndication is about having horses that are Otago-based racing predominantly at Forbury Park and in Otago and Southland,'' he said.
''That's not to say there can't be others and it won't race up north, but the objective of the Forbury Fun syndicates is to give Otago people the opportunity to get involved with that.''
Ayoub, who has been in the general manager's job since July, said the syndicates were a chance to break down barriers stopping people from getting involved in horse ownership.
''There are lots of people that come along here with friends that we talk to ... a lot of them ask about that sort of thing but they never have that ability - whether it be time or financially - to do it themselves.''
One advantage for buying Jaccka Emberz was his fitness, which is nearing the levels required to head to the races within the next two to three weeks.
''That's what we wanted,'' Ayoub said.
''That was the attraction of moving really fast because this horse is being worked up and he's almost ready to come back out.
''It means the members that join now for syndicate [number] one will have their horse racing in our winter series and everything which, to me, is the fun part.''
Word of mouth has meant the first syndicate is informally about 50% full with expressions of interest.
Drivers' colours will vary slightly depending on which trainers have the horse, with the Forbury Park and goHarness logos worked into the colours as well.
Free share
The Forbury Park Trotting Club is offering one free share - covering the $100 upfront payment and the first monthly payment of $50 - to one lucky Otago Daily Times reader.
Simply email matt.smith@odt.co.nz with your name, address and contact phone number. Entries close at 6pm on Wednesday, May 6. The winner will be announced in next week's Racing Matters column.
