Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

On the first day of the new week Sideline Sid had a day out at the Tauranga Races as the result of having a miniscule share in a horse that was having its third race day start.

The Monday meeting was a low key industry day aimed at giving the lower brigade horses a chance put some runs on the board.

With a nice day in the offering, several hundred people were on course for what turned out to be a pleasant day's racing.

Hats off to the committee who gave the public access to the Fairway lounge, usually the exclusive domain of the members. Not only did it create a good sized crowd in the lounge but it saw racing people rubbing shoulders with local punters.

Few sports or pastimes produce the highs and lows experienced in thoroughbred racing ownership. While a game or event has its own drama it is usually for a short period - horse ownership seems to take over your life and emotions from the time you sign on the dotted line.

A love of the punt since his teenage years led Sid into putting together a syndicate to race a trotter some 30 odd years ago. From there followed (small) shares in a number of other mainly slow donkeys, with the present animal being horse number nine.

As syndicate manager of the first pacer and the subsequent replacement when the first one was found to be as slow as a slow draught horse – opened up a extraordinary new world. Horse racing has a bureaucracy that seems to require everything in triplicate and with every requirement to be submitted having a cost attached.

After nearly a 10 year gap, Sid decided to get involved in the roller coaster ride of horse ownership again last year.

The deciding factor was that horse number nine is trained on the mudflats at Matapihi, with the opportunity to pop over and watch the horse go through its paces.

One thing Sid has learnt over the years is that to be a successful owner you need two vital requirements - long pockets and a truckload of optimism.

The ability to handle disappointment is also necessary, with Sid having the equivalent of a degree in handling letdowns, as the previous eight horses have failed to win a race.

Around 12 months ago, the present syndicate was put together, with several months of just letting the horse grow on a farm in the Waikato, before the introduction to stable life.

While the horse arrived in the Western Bay in early October, the first couple of months were all about education to the rigours of stable life.

Just prior to Christmas, there was build-up in anticipation with the likely attendance at a couple of trial meetings.

Highs turned to lows after poor performances, however the trainer's words was that it is just part of the education process. Worse was to come in February in its first race day start at Te Awamutu when it tailed the field home by a dozen lengths. Once again the trainer was able to find a credible reason for the poor performance.

Fast forward to Anzac Day and after reports of the horse working out of its skin, it was off to Avondale with refreshed hopes. At Avondale the trainer's faith was somewhat rewarded with said horse finishing fourth, resulting in our first (very small) cheque.

Monday at Tauranga was further progression, with the horse leading the field in race five to half way down the straight, before holding on for a highly creditable third place.

However, being well aware of the ups and downs in racing, we are looking forward to the horse's next start with a small degree of confidence to be able to hang the first winners photo on the wall – experience however tells us there are likely to be more disappointments around the corner.

Seeya at the Races.