Flat Or Jumps Syndicate: Seasons, Costs And Winners Compared
The Short Answer
Flat horses race without obstacles, and many are sold within a couple of seasons. For our syndicates, the busiest months run from spring to early autumn. Jumps (National Hunt) horses race over hurdles and fences, or in bumpers, and often stay in training for years, with the season centred on the winter. In our 2026 data, syndicate horses had 3,331 Flat runs and 966 jumps runs, and the strike rates were close: 12.3% Flat and 13.8% Jumps. 40 listings do both, so you don't have to choose.
Looking for the lists? See all Flat syndicates and Jumps syndicates. This guide is about choosing between them.
Get The Syndicate Sheet
New shares, price changes and the week's syndicate winners. Free, every week.
The Difference At A Glance
| Flat | Jumps (National Hunt) | |
|---|---|---|
| The racing | No obstacles; sprints to long distances | Hurdles, fences (chases) and bumpers (jumps-style races without obstacles) |
| Busiest months for our syndicates, 1 Jan 2026 to 18 Oct 2026 | Sep, Jun, May | Jan, Feb, Mar |
| How long a horse races | Often a few seasons. Highclere Racing says most of its horses are sold by the end of their three-year-old careers. | Often much longer. Highclere Racing says a jumps horse's career can generally last much longer than a Flat horse's. |
| Owners' share of the prize fund | 80% across the four placed owners | 78.25% across the four placed owners |
| 2026 strike rate (our syndicates) | 12.3% (409 wins from 3,331 runs) | 13.8% (133 wins from 966 runs) |
Prize split for an ordinary race with four prizes, from the BHA Rules of Racing (15 October 2026 edition, version 2026.4.1); see prize money explained. Highclere quotes are from its FAQ.
When Syndicate Horses Actually Ran
Every UK and Irish run by horses racing for syndicates in our directory, 1 Jan 2026 to 18 Oct 2026, split by code. It shows the shape of each season better than any rule of thumb:
| Month | Flat runs | Jumps runs |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 223 | 216 |
| Feb | 173 | 167 |
| Mar | 209 | 163 |
| Apr | 360 | 114 |
| May | 424 | 94 |
| Jun | 436 | 56 |
| Jul | 420 | 43 |
| Aug | 385 | 20 |
| Sep | 449 | 39 |
| Oct | 252 | 54 |
From official results, counted the same way as the winners leaderboard; a run counts as Jumps if the race is a hurdle, chase or bumper. Oct is a part month, and our data starts in January, so the busy late-autumn and December jumps months of 2026 aren't in it yet.
What it means for you: a Flat share gives you most of your race days from spring to early autumn, with some all-weather racing through the winter. A jumps share is quiet in high summer and busiest in the colder months. If you want runners all year, look at the 40 listings that do both.
Costs By Code
Using our first-year estimates (upfront price plus 12 months of fees, how we calculate them), here's how the codes compare:
| Flat only | Jumps only | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 25 | 31 | 40 |
| Listings we can cost | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Median first year (est.) | £960 | £1,538 | £910 |
| Cheapest first year (est.) | £420 | £200 | £99 |
| Say badges are guaranteed | 8 | 9 | 12 |
Only 24 active listings publish enough prices to cost a full year, so the medians rest on small numbers. Treat them as a rough guide. Where a syndicate doesn't say which code it races, we use its 2026 runners (28 active listings).
Winners By Code
In 2026 so far, 259 of the 554 horses that ran on the Flat for our syndicates won at least once (46.8%), against 104 of the 283 jumpers (36.7%). The jumps figures don't yet include the busy end of the year. The syndicates with the most wins in each code:
| # | Most Flat wins | Most jumps wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middleham Park Racing (93) | Owners Group (17) |
| 2 | Highclere Racing (26) | Value Racing Club (13) |
| 3 | Hambleton Racing (24) | Foxtrot Racing Management (12) |
| 4 | The Horse Watchers (21) | Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates (12) |
| 5 | Tim Easterby – Reality Partnerships (18) | Old Gold Racing (11) |
Horses are counted per syndicate. A strike rate isn't a measure of value for money; see how we count.
Which Suits You?
- Choose Flat if you like summer racing and big meetings in good weather, and you're happy for a horse to be sold after a season or two (which, with a purchase share, can mean sale money back).
- Choose Jumps if you'd like to follow one horse for several seasons, enjoy winter racing, and don't mind a quiet summer.
- Choose both if you want runners all year: 40 active listings race in both codes.
The Matchmaker asks whether you prefer Flat or Jumps and picks your top 3. Or go straight to the Flat and Jumps lists, or syndicates for beginners.
General information from published prices and terms, not financial advice. Racehorse ownership is a hobby, not an investment. Always read the syndicate agreement before paying anything. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.