I don't usually give much thought to birthdays but this year I received a really great present from my sister: part ownership of a racehorse!!

We both enjoy jumps racing best and when I visit we often attend the races at Wincanton. The horse I have an admittedly very small share in is called The Final Word.

Here's a concise summary:

The Final Word is a promising chestnut horse with good movement who won his only point-to-point race at Ballinaboola in February. impressively.

He has a strong pedigree, being sired by Getaway and from a family with successful jumpers. Trained by Paul Nicholls, The Final Word is expected to start novice hurdling in autumn before potentially moving to fences. Nicholls considers him a classy prospect with a great attitude.

The horse is one of the horses owned by the Owners Group who sell shares in their horses. Share owners get the chance to visit their horse at the trainers stables and receive updates on their progress and where and when they are racing.

A small number of the owners are selected by a draw to attend a race meeting for their horse and enjoy all the benefits of a normal owner on race day.

Because of the large number of shares in a horse the Owners Group annual fees are easily affordable - my share in The Final Word cost just £57. I have the option to renew the share for another year.

So I will be posting here my experiences as a new horse owner.

You can learn more about the Owners Group here

regards Chris

Photo: The Final Word (Doesn't he look great!)