As Europe’s leading racehorse ownership company, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing has seen plenty of success. Highclere syndicate shares are always in high demand, and some of the world’s biggest celebrities own horses at the famous Highclere racing stable.
Here, we talk to its founder Harry Herbert, the gentleman behind it all, about acting, Downton Abbey and, of course, racing.
Despite having racing in your blood, you initially wanted to be an actor. What happened with that?
I did various musical reviews and set up an amateur company called ‘Theatre in Trust’, which hired West End theatres in order to put on plays for charity. The plays were professionally directed and stage-managed, and over the years have raised a considerable sum for charity. All of this gave me the chance to act on the West End stage to full houses, which was incredible.<
Do you think a cameo appearance on Downton Abbey might be on the cards?
Sadly not, although I would of course jump at the opportunity should Julian Fellowes give me the call-up! Hugh Bonneville is a good friend and keeps me fully up-to-date on all the Downton chat. He currently has a really exciting colt in one of my Highclere syndicates, called Gothic.
Aside from acting, what would you want to be doing if you weren’t doing this?
I would have loved to have been a professional golfer, but as the lowest my handicap has ever been is six, that was never going to happen.
Can you talk us through how you got to where you are now?
I worked for stockbrokers Rowe & Pitman and especially loved the floor of the stock exchange, which was full of great characters, some of whom I still see occasionally on the racecourse. Having grown up with racing, I rather rebelled against it through my teens, but the dormant gene woke up in my early twenties and I was soon following my father’s horses as well as the Queen’s that he managed.
After leaving London you went to Kentucky. What made you make this decision?
I decided to head to Kentucky as, thanks to my mother, who is American, I held an American passport, which allowed me to work there. My father was very well-known in racing here in the UK and I didn’t want to be “daddy’s boy”, so the American option appealed to me as I would be judged on my own merits.
How does the sport differ in America to the UK?
The sport is very different in many ways in the US, primarily because every racetrack there is a flat oval and the vast majority of races are run on dirt, a surface that is not used here in the UK. Prize money, however, is significantly higher in the US, but the big debate going on at the moment is over the use of drugs such as Bute and Lasix, which are legal in the States but are banned in Europe.
Highclere Thoroughbred Racing is Britain’s most successful racehorse syndication company. What’s the secret to your success?
We have been very fortunate at Highclere to be able to have my brother-in-law, John Warren, buying our horses, and his record really is quite remarkable over the 20 years we have been in operation. To have raced seven European champions and one world champion is phenomenal.
We use the best trainers and we try to manage the horses in such a way that we give our owners the best possible chance of racing at the highest level. In any syndicate company, communication is critical, and this is something that we can be very proud of at Highclere as every owner is treated as though they own the horse outright, with us acting as their personal racing manager.
Of all your accolades and achievements, what are you most proud of?
To win the Derby with Motivator for the Royal Ascot Racing Club that I managed was really something very special. My brother-in-law, John, bought Motivator for only 75,000 guineas and he was later syndicated for six million pounds.
Other highlights would certainly be Harbinger’s victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which he won by 11 lengths, knocking half a second off the track record. He became the highest rated thoroughbred in the world, which was pretty special.
I helped to start and develop the Cartier Awards, which are European racing’s equivalent to the Oscars, and to see them going from strength to strength after 23 years means an awful lot.
How does being racing adviser to Sheikh Joaan’s racing empire differ from anything you’ve done before?
I am extremely honoured to have been asked by Sheikh Joaan to be his racing advisor and to help develop Al Shaqab. It is a huge responsibility, and it is also a very different brief to try and realise Sheikh Joaan’s ambitions to be the most successful racing organisation in the world. It will take time and patience to develop this, but Sheikh Joaan has shown his intent through purchasing proven horses such as Treve, Olympic Glory and Toronado, who have all gone on to win Group One races for Al Shaqab.
To win last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe that is sponsored by Qatar with his own filly was something very special, and it has certainly set the bar at a rather dizzying height! He is also developing a breeding operation at his stud farm in Normandy called Haras de Bouquetot, and doubtless there will be other stud farms in the future that will be acquired outside of France, but it is very much one step at a time.
Clearly money makes a huge difference in the racing world, with such huge investments from abroad. How do you think the British will compete?
The Qatari investment into European bloodstock is a tremendous boost to the industry and can only be good for British breeders. Al Shaqab and Qatar Racing continue to buy into proven horses, which again allows owners to realise significant sums of money whilst often enabling them to retain a stake in the horse.
Also, year after year, good horses come from every section of the marketplace, which is what makes this remarkable sport so intriguing, as it gives hope to everyone when they head to the yearling sales. It is amazing to think that this year’s Kentucky Derby winner, California Chrome, cost only $8,000 as a yearling.
What do you think it is about racing that has captured – and continues to capture – the hearts of generations?
There is so much about racing that excites and inspires people to get involved. First and foremost, it is all about the horse – the beauty and majesty of the thoroughbred – but there are so many other parts, such as the individual characteristics of our racecourses and, of course, the colour, style and glamour that comes with our great racing festivals such as Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood.
Some call it elitist. Would you agree?
Racing is so not elitist because it is an open door for everyone to enjoy. Whether it is a fun day out with the family or a dabble into ownership, racing cuts through every social strata and that is so much a part of its magic. You can join a racing club for as little as £100 and be able to stand in the parade ring next door to the Queen, which in itself, you have to admit, is pretty unique. My share-owners come from every walk of life but everyone gets on brilliantly because there is the common subject matter of their horse, which bonds everyone together.
What goals or aspirations are you still yet to accomplish?
Goodness, there are so many! I would love to win the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a Highclere horse and I would love one day to win the Melbourne Cup, an ambition that I have harboured since I first went to the race in 2003. Of course, for Al Shaqab, there is a world of ambition to help Sheikh Joaan achieve his aims of winning classic races and becoming a dominant force on the international stage.
Planning to visit the races? Read our guide to proper etiquette on race day.
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