Fittocks Stud Racing Syndicate

The Fittocks Racing Syndicate is a unique concept designed to deliver a cost-effective and hands-on experience with the guidance of the esteemed Cumani family.

This page explains the concept, introduces the racehorse and gives you the opportunity to register your interest to be involved with a top-class racehorse from one of the most respected breeding operations in the UK.

There will be 200 shares available and the syndicate will run for two terms, with an annual payment of £299 and no additional fees for the duration of each 12-month syndicate term.

Please note that this is a lease syndicate, so members are not purchasing a share in the racehorse, which is why the cost is so low. However, all members will get a share of 80% of prize money won AND 20% of the sale proceeds of the racehorse should it be sold during the two-year period. For context, if the horse were sold for £1M, each member would receive £1,000 per share.

A further benefit is that the lease fee will be nominal, meaning syndicate members will get access to an excellent prospect at a very competitive rate.

Members will also enjoy exclusive experiences throughout the year, including: two visits to Fittocks Stud, hosted by Luca and Sara Cumani, a stable visit to Ed Walker’s yard, weekly trainer’s updates on the filly’s progress and monthly insights from Francesca Cumani.

The filly, who will be leased from Fittocks Stud for the syndicate, is by St Mark’s Basilica and out of Umniyah.

St Mark’s Basilica earned over £2million in a career that included six wins, five of which were at Group 1 level. He was impressive as a two-year-old when winning the Dewhurst Stakes. He then went unbeaten as a three-year-old, adding victories in the French 2000 Guineas, French Derby and Coral-Eclipse to his page. This earned him the title of World Champion three-year-old and Cartier Horse of the Year.

He joined the roster at Coolmore in 2022 for a fee of €65,000, where he was sent some of the best mares from across the globe, many of which had scored at the top level themselves. His first crop will be two years old in 2025.

Following retirement from racing, Umniyah was sold for €165,000 as a broodmare and returned to the sales later that year, when in foal to Sea The Stars, where she made 180,000gns.

Since then she has been sent to the likes of Dark Angel and Frankel. She has produced four winners from five runners, including Troia, who won on debut as a two-year-old before finishing 4th in the Oh So Sharp Stakes (Group 3).

Umniyah is by Shamardal, who was crowned Champion two-year-old after winning the Dewhurst (Group 1). He then went on to score in a further three Group 1s the following season. At stud he has produced multiple Group 1 winners including Piantubo, Blue Point and Lope De Vega, all of whom have gone on to stand at stud. As a broodmare sire he is responsible for Goliath, Awtaad and Hello Youmzain, all high profile performers.

The St Mark’s Basilica x Umniyah filly is described as being “a good size”, “very correct” and as having “a great walk… and stretch” over which she “covers a lot of ground”.

Here’s Sara to tell you more…

Now in training with Ed Walker, she is expected to perform well as a two-year-old, representing the kind of high potential that Fittocks Stud is known for. Her half-sister, Troia, is already rated 95 and is performing well under the same trainer, setting a precedent for this filly’s success.

Here's Ed to tell you more:

The filly was bred by Fittocks Stud and was returned to Vendor at Tattersalls Book 2 yearling sales for 80,000gns after failing to meet its reserve.

Ed started training in October 2010 when he rented a small 24 box yard within St Gatien Stables in Newmarket. From there he sent out his first runner in Riggins, a Listed winner on November 27th 2010. Since then Ed has grown the business and now resides at the very smart Kingsdown Stables in Lambourn.

To date, Ed has trained over 400 winners and has had a Stakes winner every year since taking out his licence. The quality of his string has gradually improved over the years and he finally got that elusive Group 1 winner when Starman won the July Cup in 2021. Almost a year later, Dreamloper landed the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp, followed by the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, becoming Ed’s first dual Group 1 winner.