The damage

Fancy owning your own horse?charts the cost

People who wouldn't be seen dead in a bookies are punting on today's Grand National. But the adrenaline rush from 50p each way is nothing to the bigger gamble of owning one of the runners. Once the preserve of the Royal Family and the Aga Khan, horse-racing is changing its image, says the British Horseracing Board, and for pounds 32 a week you can share ownership of a real live racehorse with a mere 20 other people. A bargain, considering that Earth Summit, last year's Grand National winner, was bought for 5,800 guineas (pounds 5,523) and has so far made its six owners pounds 335,998 in winnings. If you don't want a partnership, you could always get your business or club to buy one, or just lease the horse from an established stable for a single race - when you might expect to pay around pounds 2,200. The list below refers to sole-ownership, so divide the costs by how ever many willing partners you can find.

A foal and his money Average price for a flat horse (jump horses take longer to reach their potential, and are more expensive to buy and keep), pounds 19,831; payment to a bloodstock agent to find the horse (5 per cent of purchase price), pounds 991.55; insurance (4 per cent of purchase price), pounds 830. Subtotal: pounds 21,652.55

Saddled with debt A trainer for a year, including feed, payment of stable staff, transport to races and use of gallops, pounds 13,500; one-off fee to register you as an owner, payable to Weatherby's, the British Horseracing Board's administrators, pounds 52.88; an `Authority to Act' fee, allowing your trainer to enter races on your behalf, pounds 34.66; registering horse's name, pounds 85; registering colours (18 to choose from in a variety of combinations), pounds 28.91. Subtotal: pounds 13,701.45

Starting prices Race entry fees average pounds 60 (generally 1 per cent of the value of the race), and most flat race horses run perhaps five races per year, pounds 300; the jockey's riding fees, at pounds 61.50 per flat race (again jump races are more expensive), pounds 307.50. Subtotal: pounds 607.50

TOTAL: pounds 35,961.50