黑洞社区

Stef Stefanou

Chairman, John Doyle. Owns four-and-a-half horses

Owning a horse is a mug鈥檚 game. The fact is, only one in three of bred for racing ever get good enough to even see a racecourse. Of these, only one in 10 win a race. A horse can cost anything from 拢10,000 to 拢200,000 to buy and then it costs about 拢2,000 a month for training and feeding. So unless you鈥檙e very lucky, you can鈥檛 make money out of owning a horse.

I went into it because I like a gamble. I thought, if I buy a horse or two and really get into it, I鈥檒l get some inside information and make lots of money. Of course, that was a complete fallacy.

But if you heavily back a horse that you actually own and you see it going two lengths clear, it鈥檚 so exciting, the feeling is fantastic. My best moment was in 1996. I had a horse running at Cheltenham. Even the trainer said it couldn鈥檛 win the race. But it did win, and I鈥檇 backed it at 33-1. I had a go at everyone who didn鈥檛 bet on him, so next time he raced, all my friends and colleagues backed him at 6-1. He won again and we made so much money, we had to take it home in carrier bags.

The worst thing is selling a horse, then seeing it win race after race. That bloody kills me! Now, when I sell a horse, I make the buyer sign an agreement to say they will never race the horse. I know it makes me sound like a loony, but I鈥檓 telling you there鈥檚 nothing worse, so I don鈥檛 care 鈥�

My favourite horse is Helvetio. He鈥檚 only won once, but I have high hopes for him. You always hope that one day you鈥檒l get one that keeps on winning.

For me, it鈥檚 about the excitement and gambling. The people at the races can be quite funny, too. You see the whole spectrum of society. At Royal Ascot once, I overheard some very posh-sounding people complaining that 鈥渢he problem with racing these days is that too many ordinary people go鈥�.

This weekend in the Grand National I鈥檒l be backing Comply or Die. The horse seems to be a good galloper and the odds are 14-10.

• Helvetio
• Owner: Stef Stefanou
• Trainer: Micky Hammond
• Breeder: Side Hill Stud and Floors Farming
• Age: Six
• Race type: Hurdles and flat
• Starts: 17鈥� one win, six seconds, five thirds

Roger Kilby

QS, developer and founder of the former consultant Roger Kilby Associates. Owns 31 horses

Horse racing is so different from quantity surveying 鈥� that鈥檚 the appeal for me. Most QSs are careful, straightforward people and not risk-takers. They like to control things, but in this game, you have no control: the horse does what it likes and so does the jockey. Out of everyone in construction, developers are the people that take the most risks, but this is even worse.

I added up my horses this morning and worked out I鈥檝e got 31. One of my favourites is Rollin 鈥榥鈥� Tumblin. That horse has come a long way. The trainer described him as 鈥済ormless鈥� at first, but now he鈥檚 like a lion. He鈥檚 run three times at Kempton for me already.

Trafalgar Square is another one of my best horses at the moment. He is a cool customer, a nice even-handed horse with a lovely stride. He鈥檒l probably be going to Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood this year.

I love breeding horses. They鈥檙e looked after for me by the trainer, of course, but I see them every week and watching them come on is fantastic. You see them trundling over the paddock and you notice that one is looking a bit faster suddenly and it comes as a complete surprise.

You can never tell how a horse is going to turn out. You might pay 拢10,000 or 拢150,000 for it, but it seems to have no bearing on how they go.

Gambling on your own horses is alright, but you have to be a bit selective. We鈥檝e had six wins and 19 places so far this year 鈥� that鈥檚 better than our entire performance last year 鈥� so things are looking good. But if I backed all my own horses, I鈥檇 be putting on 120 to150 bets a year and I would most likely be skint!

My horses aren鈥檛 like pets, they鈥檙e more like colleagues. You don鈥檛 want anything to happen to them and you want them to do well, but they are not like the beloved family dog.

My favourite races are the shorter sprints on the flat. Jumping is a great spectacle, but it鈥檚 a bit like a parade. The real suspense is in the sprints.

My tip for the Grand National this weekend? Definitely Ashkazar.

• Trafalgar Square
• Owner: Canisbay Bloodstock
• Trainer: J Akehurst
• Jockey pictured: Kirsty Milczarek
• Breeder: Matthews Breeding and Racing
• Age: Six
• Race type: Flat
• Starts: 22 鈥� four wins, no seconds and three thirds

Frank Hanson

managing director, Libra Demolition. Owns three horses

I think the reason so many construction people are into horse racing is the Irish connection. In the sixties, when the Irish came here to work as builders, they brought horse racing with them. It鈥檚 bred into them over there.

For me, it鈥檚 not about the gambling; I just think race horses are magnificent beasts. To own one that wins and wins is the ultimate dream.

I鈥檝e had Four Franks for 18 months. I鈥檝e only raced him once and he came seventh at Wetherby, which wasn鈥檛 too bad. At the moment, he鈥檚 what we call a 鈥渟tore horse鈥�, which means we鈥檙e bringing him along slowly and not racing him again until we think he鈥檚 ready. Some horses just need time to grow up mentally. To start racing him regularly would be like sending an 11-year-old boy to work on a building site.

We named him Four Franks because the name鈥檚 a bit of a tradition for my family. I鈥檓 obviously Frank, my son is Frank, my dad鈥檚 Frank, mum鈥檚 Frances, and my little granddaughter is Frankie. We鈥檝e had horses called 50 Franks, One Million Franks and Frankie Hanson.

They鈥檝e all died except Four Franks. Some had broken legs, one got colic and one actually had a nervous breakdown. They鈥檙e extremely sensitive animals and it鈥檚 really distressing when they鈥檙e put down because for us they鈥檙e part of the family.

My horses are on my mind all the time. It鈥檚 a complete passion. Other people are into football, golf, boxing or whatever 鈥� for me, it鈥檚 the horses. You鈥檙e always dreaming that you鈥檙e going to have an awesome horse that keeps on winning.

We鈥檝e never really had a horse like that, but I鈥檝e got a new strategy. We always had Irish horses before, but now I鈥檓 going for French horses. They have real class, I reckon.

I don鈥檛 tip on the Grand National because it鈥檚 a mad race. There are too many horses in it and often the winner isn鈥檛 a particularly great horse.

• Four Franks
• Owner: Frank Hanson
• Trainer: Micky Hammond
• Breeder: GT Greene
• Age: Five
• Race type: Hurdle
• Starts: one 鈥� placed seventh