And they're off...Millers fans back a winner with new horse racing club

Up the Millers is breaking new ground as the first horse in a new racing club giving fans the chance to get involved in the sport of kings. And the signs so far are good.

The two-year-old gelding has done well enough in its first three races so far to show it could be a name to watch.

If more supporters get on board with the syndicate scheme, the stable could expand with other horses named after Rotherham United legends.

Paul Thompson, a Millers supporter and sponsor, is the brainchild behind the idea.

“As a Rotherham United supporter for some 58 years, we decided to dedicate our first horse to RUFC and named him Up the Millers,” said Paul, who runs horse racing syndicate DGA Racing and is a sponsor and long-standing sponsor of the Millers.

“Our idea was to provide an opportunity for all supporters to have a chance to follow their passion for horse racing but at the same time link this back to their first. Hence we have established the Up the Millers Racing Club.

“Four people off the kop are members of the syndicate and since we started this, it has become apparent there are a few people who support the club have also got shares in racehorses. It is not just my racehorse, it also belongs to the people of Rotherham United.

“The horses we are buying are good quality horses and the idea is that we pay off some of the expenses by syndication because it is quite an expensive sort of hobby.

“It provides a bit of excitement during the summer when people have no football to watch. It is a much nicer experience when you can go as an owner.

“Going into the parade ring and talking to the jockeys is something that these guys would never have aspired to do before. The camaraderie is all part of the enjoyment.

“It would also be nice if we had a few horses named after the Millers and Millers players.

“Once the fans get behind this initial initiative, Breck's Selection and Warne's Army have been reserved as names for future acquisitions.

“Both John Breckin and Paul Warne have given me personal endorsements of the initiative and hopefully at some stage the football club itself may get behind the initiative. I have briefed the chairman on our plans already.”

For a £20 monthly fee, members get a share of prizemoney, newsletters, social media updates and enjoy parade ring places and stable visits and entry to a draw to win an all-expenses-paid trip to The Dubai World Cup Meydan in 2019 and a quarterly prize of a table for two hospitality lounge at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Up the Millers is based with trainer Ann Duffield at Constable Burton, near Leyburn in North Yorkshire. DGA's horses mainly race in the county.

“We bought this first horse to get Rotherham fans behind it,” explained Paul, a season ticket holder who travels down from his home in the Borders with his wife for home games.

“He's a good horse, well bred, and he's got the potential to win races.

“His first race was on the all-weather track at Newcastle in August and he ran pretty well and came fourth.

“In the second race at Ripon, the conditions didn't suit him but we brought him back out recently at Pontefract and he was winning until the last furlong when he showed his inexperience.

“The main thing is he is growing and it won't be long before he starts to fulfil his promise. We always bought him with next year in mind and he will also be racing in Nursery Handicaps this autumn on All Weather Tracks.

“The nice thing is that the fans are able to come up to the stables and watch the horse develop and grow.”

David Senior, a long standing Millers fan, was the first member to join.

“It's a dream come true to have a part in a horse with a connection to the team we all support,” he said. “Up the Millers is a beast of a horse, he's huge, and we're looking forward to watching him for a long time to come.”

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