Costs of ownership

Sole Owner and Company Ownership

Payable to the British Horseracing Authority, there are several registration fees that are applicable when setting up as a sole owner. Some fees are subject to annual re-registration.

ROA members receive a 20% discount on most registration fees. A full list of these, and the discounts can be found here.

Fees apply to Registered Owners. However, if you are setting up a Partnership or Syndicate, there may be additional fees involved.

Partnerships

All owners in a Partnership (between 2 – 12) must already be registered sole or company owners. The additional fees to set up a Partnership are as follows:

• One sole owner involved in the Partnership must also register Authority to in order for their trainer to be able to act on behalf of the Partnership, though this may already have been done as part of the initial owner registration (if a Ready to Race or Complete Racing Package was purchased).
• Partnerships can use colours that are already registered to one of the sole or company owners involved, unless the partners wish to register a new set specifically for that Partnership. There is no fee to share colours.
• If owners are registered for VAT as individuals, then they can only reclaim VAT if they own at least 50% of a horse. Therefore, if a Partnership consists of several individuals with less than 50% each, a joint application will need to be made to create a new VAT number for the Partnership to reclaim VAT as an entity.

Syndicates and Racing Clubs

Every registered Syndicate requires at least one named Syndicator, who must already be a registered sole or company owner. The rest of the syndicate members needn’t be registered owners. The fees are as follows:

• One named Syndicator must also register Authority to Act in order for their trainer to be able to act on behalf of the Syndicate, though this may already have been done as part of the initial owner registration.
• As with Partnerships, Syndicates can use colours that are already registered to one of the named syndicators, unless they wish to register a new set specifically for the Syndicate.
• In order for a Syndicate to reclaim VAT on the costs of ownership, it must register for VAT as an entity.

Other Registration Fees

Other registration fees may apply to owners once their initial ownership has been set up. Other common fees incurred by owners include Registration of Horse Name and fees relating to changing the set-up of a co-ownership.

As part of the BHA’s continued work to improve the ownership experience, on Wednesday 1 October they will introduce a new fee structure for owners.

This has been designed based on feedback from owners, which has asked for a clearer, more streamlined approach so that you know what you are paying for and why. 

The changes are income-neutral for the BHA and therefore charges to owners will not increase as a result of the introduction of the new fee structure.

Fees payable by Owners represent approximately 25% of the BHA’s total income and help fund many of the BHA’s activities - including the raceday regulation of all fixtures and working to ensure the highest levels of integrity. The BHA aims to break even over the longer term and as such only charges fees at a level required to fund its necessary governance and regulatory activities.

We have provided more information about the new fee structure below.

You won’t need to do anything differently before 1 October, but if have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected].

Owner Fee Changes

The new structure that will be introduced on 1 October 2025 is designed around four simple charging categories:

• Joining: A simple joining fee will be charged once, upfront, to any new owner. To reduce barriers to entry, all new owner joining fees will be significantly reduced compared with the current registration charges, with individual owners charged no fee at all

• Annual: An annual membership charge will be introduced to replace the majority of recurring fees, including Authority to Act, VAT Administration and Sponsorship. For owners who have not had a runner in the previous year their annual membership renewal will be free of charge

• Additional: A small number of fees will remain outside the annual subscription to allow flexibility for Owners. These will include registrations such as Colours and Names

• Race: As is currently the case, for each entry made in an owner’s name, a small entry handling fee will be charged.

More detailed information can be found on the BHA website including the specific fees and when they will be charged.

A 20% discount for Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) members will continue to be applied to owners’ annual and additional fees.

Next Steps

No action is required ahead of these changes taking affect and, once again, if you have any questions or wish to find out how these changes will impact you specifically, please email [email protected].

 

NEW REGISTRATIONS

Ownership Type	New Joining Fees 2025	Difference from now
Sole	£0	-£106
Company	£325	-£672
Partnership	£225	-£76
Syndicate	£325	-£74
Club	£325	-£74

 

ANNUAL FEE

Ownership Type	Proposed annual fee
Active	£135	Combines annual Authority to Act, VAT, sponsorship and lease fees
Dormant	£0

All fees are ex VAT

ROA discounts will continue to apply to all fees as is the case now except the joining fees.

Annual

All Owners will have their registration renewed annually. This will be on the anniversary of their initial registration (should you have registered after October 2025) or their fee alignment date (which can be found by looking on the Racing Admin system).

The annual subscription fee charged to owners will depend on whether they are active or dormant. This status is based on whether they have had a runner in the previous 12 months. The annual subscription fees are below:

Active Owners

• Any owner has had a runner in the previous 12 months: £135

Dormant Owners

• Any owner who has not had a runner in the previous 12 months: Free

Owners should be aware that, in the case of a Partnership, Syndicate or Racing Club, the entity will be charged the subscription fee. As registered Owners, any Partners, Syndicators and Racing Club Managers will also their registration as an Owner renewed annually. However, if they have not had a runner in their own name, they will be considered a dormant owner.

Owners can de-register at any point once they have no horses in training and no outstanding engagements by emailing [email protected]

By deregistering all related registrations including sponsorships, permissions and VAT authorisation will be cancelled. Should an Owner wish to return to the sport after deregistration, they will be required to rejoin, re-register and pay any required joining fee.

Owners deregistering within 14 days of paying their annual subscription fee may be able to claim a refund and should contact [email protected].

Owners should be aware that should they not have a horse in training (either in their own name, or as part Partnership, Syndicate or Racing Club) for a period of 24 consecutive months, their ownership will be cancelled and they will be required to rejoin.

Additional

A small number of fees will remain outside of their annual subscription and be charged separately to allow flexibility for owners. This includes registrations such as colours and names. A full list of fees can be found here.

Race Fees

Owners are charged a handling fee whenever they make an entry. This is in addition to any entry fee that may be charged by the racecourse. The entry handling fee is £28.08.

Should a horse be eliminated, the entry handling fee is refunded to the Owner.

There are a number of expenses when putting a horse in training – some you might expect – and some you might not!

• Training Fees
• Pre / out of training fees
• Farrier
• Vet, Physio, Dentist
• Gallops Fees
• Clipping
• Supplements / wormer

Some trainers will include a number of the above costs in their basic rate. You should check this in advance, and ensure these basic costs are covered in your Training Agreement. A template copy of this can be found here.

Gallops Fees

If the trainer has their own gallops then this fee may be included in the daily rate. If the trainer uses shared facilities then you are likely to pay a gallops fee on top of your daily training fee. This is normally charged straight to your racing bank account, once your horse goes into full training. Prices can be split per month, or in the case of special gallops per horse, per month.

• Newmarket: Newmarket has a number of gallops, of which there is one fee to use the general gallops, and additional fees payable if your trainer works your horse at one of the “special” gallops: the Watered Gallop, Limekilns Golden Mile and the Round Gallop. Please ask your trainer for a up-to-date list of gallops fees.
• Malton: Similarly, Malton has two gallops – Langton Wold and Highfield, which are charged separately. Please ask your trainer for a up-to-date list of gallops fees.
• Epsom, Lambourn and Middleham: There is just one flat fee for the gallops at these training centres. Please ask your trainer for a up-to-date list of gallops fees.

Other fees from trainers to watch out for:

• Jockey Schooling Fees and Retainers

Sometimes a professional jockey will be asked to ride your horse in a preparatory piece of work, or perhaps over obstacles, at home to give their opinion on your horses’ fitness and/or a guide on the sort of conditions that might favour your horse. Jockeys often school horses free of charge, in the hope that they may get the ride on the track, though if the jockey is high in demand there may be a charge for their services.

If the services of a particular jockey are retained by your trainer or yard, then he or she may be paid a regular fee. You should check whether your trainer retains any jockeys, and whether you will be required to pay a percentage of the retainer. Again, this fee should be detailed in your Training Agreement.

• Trainer’s commission

Trainer’s commission: trainers may charge a commission when assisting with the purchase of a horse (or may split commission with another agent) or, more commonly, may charge commission on the sale of any horse trained by them. The normal commission rate is 5%. Any commission should be set out in the training agreement and for the avoidance of of doubt, initialled by both parties.

• Additional facilities on or off-site e.g. ad-hoc use of a spa or swimming pool may incur extra charges.
• Behavioural specialists may be drafted in to assist with specific problems: commonly stalls training for Flat horses, or to help with particularly keen or ‘quirky’ horses. These services can sometimes amount to several hundreds of pounds a time, and the owner will often be billed direct, therefore it is important to understand whether your trainer regularly uses these types of services.

To avoid being liable for unexpected bills, you should ensure your trainer details all ‘extra’ fees within your training agreement, and that any additional liabilities must only be incurred after due consultation with the owner(s) of the horse.

Racing Accounts

Every registered racehorse owner is required to have a racing account under the Rules of Racing. This racing account enables the BHA to pay prize-money securely and allows for the automatic payment of entry fees, jockey fees and registration fees. There are two types of account available:

BHA Account: Owners with a BHA account won’t incur any account charges. The BHA account is an invoicing account which settles by Direct Debit or Direct Credit on the 15^th day of the month for the previous month’s accrued racing transactions.  The table below refers to withdrawals and provides further details relating to the settlement of prize-money.

Weatherbys Racing Bank Account: Owners with a WRB account have the flexibility of a normal bank account, however will incur charges for monthly account management fees and racing transaction fees may apply.  All partnerships and syndicates will need to operate a Multi Owners Account. Owners with this type of account should be aware that their charges are due to increase from the 1 April.

The following table sets out a comparison of the two accounts currently available to registered owners.

	BHA ACCOUNT	WEATHERBYS
FEATURES	This is a simple monthly invoice arrangement. It is restricted solely to your racing transactions (entry fees, jockey fees, prize money, gallop fees and ROA membership). It does not extend to your payment of training fees.	A Weatherbys Bank account combines racing transactions (entry fees, jockey fees, prize money, ROA membership etc) with the flexibility and features of a normal bank account.
PAYMENTS	You will receive an invoice at the beginning of each month. The balance will be requested by Direct Debit on the 15th day of that month.  If sufficient funds are not available at the time of the monthly Direct Debit an overdue account fee will be charged. If the account is not settled on a subsequent Direct Debit request, further charges will be incurred and all ownership activities related to the account suspended, with the result that any horse you have an interest in will not be allowed to run.	You will receive a bank statement at the beginning of each month or you can access your statements online at any time. If your account is overdrawn this can be settled via cheque, bank transfer or card payment. You can also view your accounts via the Weatherbys Mobile Banking App. If you have received prize money you will be able to access it as soon as it has cleared on your account, typically 15 days after the race date. You can use funds on your account to automatically pay your training fees, gallop fees, and any other racing or bloodstock bills.
WITHDRAWALS	The British Horseracing Authority arrangement does not allow requested withdrawal of funds nor the retention of credit funds. Instead, if you are in credit at the end of the month, the full credit balance will be sent to your nominated account by Direct Credit at the beginning of the following month.	You can access your funds in a variety of ways including auto payments, online banking and telephone banking. Further information is contained in the Weatherbys Bank leaflet 'Account Terms and Conditions' available at www.weatherbysbank.com
INTEREST	No interest is payable on funds.	Weatherbys Bank may pay interest on credit balances at the prevailing rates. The current rates table can be viewed on www.weatherbysbank.com or is available from Weatherbys Bank on request.
TRANSACTION CHARGES	None   Overdue account charges: £50.16 (inc. VAT) for the second letter.	Racing Account A simple bank account for UK resident sole or joint owners looking to separate their racing finances from their day-to-day banking. Multi Owner Account This account is available to syndicates, clubs and partnerships. Racing Gold Account The flagship account available to sole or joint owners, bloodstock professionals and companies, and also owners who reside outside of the UK. Banking charges will apply, for further details dependent on the type of account required please visit the Racing Gold Account page on the Weatherbys Bank website.
OTHER SERVICES		More information on the range of banking services offered by Weatherbys Bank can be found by calling 01933 304777, by emailing  [email protected] or on the internet via www.weatherbysbank.com

So you’ve registered your ownership, found a trainer and have had a horse in training for several weeks. How much will it cost for your horse to actually race?

Entries

Race Entry Fees can be anything from £20 to £000’s for races of particularly high value. Owners can browse races and view the entry fees via the Racing Admin website, for which there is no charge.

• Entry Processing Fees: an additional charge is payable to the BHA for every entry processed.
• Equine Infectious Diseases Services: for every entry made, an additional £1.20 payment will be due to the Horserace Betting Levy Board for the benefit of the Equine Infectious Diseases Services of the Animal Health Trust.
• Welfare of former racehorses: £1.25 is payable for every entry, for the benefit of former racehorses.
• Foreign races: If your horse is entered to run in a race overseas, there will be an additional administrative charge payable to the BHA.

Jockey Fees

There are different fees for Flat and Jump Jockeys, As from 1 February 2023 these fees are:

• Flat:  £162.79 (plus PRIS £17.90 + CEI £4.50)
• Jump: £221.28 (plus PRIS £24.34 + CEI £4.50)

If the jockey is registered for VAT then this will be charged at the applicable rate.

Owners also contribute £3.91 per ride to the Career Ending Insurance Scheme (CEI) for Jockeys to ensure that jockeys whose careers are ended prematurely by injury are protected.

If your horse has been declared a non-runner after 9am on the day of the race, you will need to pay the jockey 50% of the full riding fee.

In addition to the above fees, owners must also pay an additional sum equivalent to 13% of the riding fee to the Trustees of the Professional Riders Insurance Scheme (PRIS).

Non Runners

Any Professional Jockey who has been declared to ride a horse by the deadline for the Declaration of Jockeys, but whose horse is subsequently made a non-runner will receive a fee of £81.40 (Flat) and £110.64 (Jump).

No fee is payable where the Race Meeting or Race is abandoned or made void.

No additional payments or deductions are applicable to either fee.

The fee will not be due to any Jockey who is declared after the deadline for the Declaration of Jockeys.

No fee is payable to a Jockey who has been declared to ride a horse that is a non-runner in a Race that has been nominated as the Second Preference Race. 

• Transport: sometimes horses will be transported together or ‘share’ transport to the races. In these cases all owners should be charged equally for their share of the transportation cost.
• Racing Expenses: these are normally for the stable staf and the trainer. As with transport, these expenses should be shared equally between all owners with runners on the card.
• Routine veterinary treatment or farriery on course: such as a post-race scope, replacing lost shoes etc. Some racecourses offer free veterinary treatment on course, whereas others may send an invoice post-race.