BUOYED by her top-level success with Alpha Centauri this season, trainer Jessica Harrington is seeking up to 20 individuals to invest €50,000 each in a €1 million war-chest ahead of the upcoming yearling sales.

Harrington is partnering with BBA Ireland’s Patrick Cooper and Elaine “Legs” Lawlor, head of the hugely successful “It’s All About The Girls Syndicate”, for the venture, which aims to race and trade successful two-year-olds next year.

The trainer hopes to sell a minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 shares at €50,000 each.

Former Punchestown racing manager Richie Galway, now in a senior management role at Harrington’s Commonstown Stables, said: “We have 10 investors committed with further pending. We are all individually investing ourselves, because we are confident the venture will work.

“It’s a proven team, Patrick has an excellent record sourcing them, Legs has extensive knowledge from her involvement in successful syndicates around the world, and Jessie’s ability to train them speaks for itself at this stage.”

Harrington and Cooper have forged a strong partnership in the sales ring in recent years, which has been a significant factor in the former establishing a stronger foothold within the flat racing scene.

The trainer has had a particularly good year with her juveniles, recording 10 individual two-year-old winners, with half of those winners coming in Curragh maidens. In all, only Aidan O’Brien and Ger Lyons have trained more juvenile winners this term.

The It’s All About The Girls Syndicate, headed by Lawlor, has been one of the biggest success stories of the season, with both of the syndicated horses, Chicas Amigas and Sparkle’N’Joy winning twice. Chicas Amigas was also listed placed and was sold to Qatar Racing before running in a Grade 1 race at Woodbine last Sunday, while Sparkle’N’Joy recorded her second win in the Listed Ingabelle Stakes, the first race on Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown last Saturday.

Lawlor also heads a similar syndicate in Australia which owns Australian mare Global Glamour, who has won two Group 1s for Gai Waterhouse and is owned by 40 women from seven different countries.

She said: “Syndicates provide an ideal opportunity for people to enjoy ownership while reducing the risk. While we are committed to making the Jessica Harrington Racing Partnership a commercially viable project, we also plan to give all those involved lots of fun through the experience.”

Harrington commented: “We are all backing our own judgement by being active investors in this venture and I hope we can have that little bit of luck that is necessary in this game to find at least one of next year’s superstars on the track.”

ALPHA AT COOLMORE

Meanwhile, Harrington reported during the week that Alpha Centauri will have eight weeks’ box rest at Coolmore.

The four-time Group 1 winner sustained an injury to her front fetlock when racing in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday and was officially retired after examination on Sunday.