Regional wins last year’s Gr 1 Haydock Sprint Cup (Picture: Sky Sports)
The fairytale story of the cheap purchase Regional is set to continue as he holds three Gr 1 entries, the York Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe over five furlongs (August 23), the Haydock Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes over six furlongs, where he will defend his crown on September 7, and the Curragh Flying Five Stakes over five furlongs on September 15.
This is how the story started of the Gr 1-winning syndicated horse Regional, who was purchased for just 3,500 Guineas, wrote Frankie Foster Of Adiyatracingplus.com lasy year after a visit to trainer Ed Bethell’s yard in Yorkshire.
In short, Regional was purchased by Danny Clark and Byron Hubbard to be syndicated in the UK with their syndicate, My Future Champion Racing. The pair headed to the Tattersalls’ July Sale with a budget in mind, and a shortlist of 10 horses that they liked.
After being outbid on the first nine, Byron reveals they were contemplating leaving early before the final lot they were interested entered the ring because it felt like “a pointless exercise”.
Ed Bethell recalls that he thought; “We will go in pitching and probably get out bid”. Having been disheartened by being repeatedly outbid, they resisted the urge to leave having made the journey to Tattersalls so decided to stick around for the 10th and final horse on their list – Regional. My, how their luck was about to change because, after a day of frustration, the gavel fell at 3,500gns – sold!
To this day, Byron, Danny, and trainer Ed Bethell don’t know how they got him so cheap. Or even why? When the gavel went down and Regional was sold to the duo they didn’t feel like they had just purchased a Group 1 winner, but instead that they had potentially made a mistake as no one else was bidding.
How wrong they were. Regional won on his first start for his new owners at Haydock in a Class 2 handicap worth £13,500 to the winner, covering that modest early outlay with plenty of interest. He then raced three more times in the UK placing on two of those starts before heading to Doha where he finished a respectable runner-up.
The five-year-old didn’t manage to get his nose in front during the summer of 2022, but back from a 225-day break in 2023 events went to a new level for this superstar sprinter. First, he won on his reappearance run at York before winning again next time out securing Listed honours and breaking the five-furlong track record, picking up nearly £30,000 more in prize money for his delighted owners.
At this point, this bargain buy had really turned into a fairytale story for the Future Champions Syndicate, but the dream came true when he won the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup. A horse purchased for £3,500 had just won a prestigious Group 1 worth just shy of a quarter of a million pounds to the winner. I am stood chatting to trainer Ed Bethell as he cuddles the completely chilled out Regional in his stable.
“If you’d have told me Regional would have been my first Group 1 winner, then I guess it’s a story made perfect for a film,” he enthuses. Danny tells me about how you would have heard the celebrations coming into the parade ring at Haydock and how he jumped into Ed’s arms: “I just couldn’t hide the excitement!” he recalls.
Although everyone on the track could clearly see the horse had won by a nose, Byron was still turning to everyone and asking if they had won. “It was just too good to be true,” he says with an air of disbelief. The pair were quick to remind me that this is a syndicate horse and themselves and Regional’s owners have really become a team that “all feel united”. I asked them what the best thing about running a syndicate was and they told me that the winning feeling is elevated when you get to share it with others. The celebrations on the day, followed by a trip home from Haydock where family, friends, and fellow owners sent messages and called them, left Danny and Byron feeling totally elated. ENDS
This season Regional has finished second in a Gr 2 at the Curragh and then at the Royal Ascot meeting last month he finished second in the Gr 1 King Charles III stakes over five furlongs.
The first of the two youtube videos below shows Regional’s Gr 1 win at Haydock and the second is one made by vlogger Kerry Whelpdale, who attended Royal Ascot this year and met up with Regional’s owners.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH REGIONAL WINNING THE £242,000 BETFAIR SPRINT CUP
