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Racehorse Profile
This really is an outstanding opportunity to be involved with a beautifully bred, superbly related hurdling prospect in training for the 2026/2027 season with a young up-and-coming trainer. It is a rare opportunity, and we anticipate that shares will sell very quickly in this very exciting prospect.
It is almost impossible to convey our excitement as when we started bidding for Rum Diamond we believed he would go way beyond our budget. We were delighted and very pleasantly surprised when we secured the lot to go into training with Max Comley at Sutton Veny in Wiltshire.
Great credit to Max who had done some significant background checking on the gelding. Rum Diamond may not have so far shown quite the level of ability of his superstar siblings, however he is sound, straightforward and clearly possesses bags of potential. Still only a three-year-old that has raced only three times, he really does have enormous scope. If he can achieve anything near what his siblings have done over jumps he will take shareholders to some big days out at the races. This gelding could well prove to be an outstanding bargain.
Where to start with the potential in that pedigree? Rum Diamond is a half-brother to Burdett Road, he was 2nd in the 2025 CHAMPION HURDLE as a 5YO. In the same year East India Dock was 3rd in the TRIUMPH HURDLE as a 4YO. Rum Diamond is their 3YO half-brother. Neither of those horses won until they were 3YOs. When the dam has been sent to sires with an emphasis on speed, the progeny have been disappointing. Being by Planteur, Rum Diamond is bred on much more similar lines to its illustrious brothers.
Understandably, Max Comley was delighted to bring the horse to Sutton Veny. On his first evening in his new home Max told us:
“He’s travelled really well, he’s eaten up, he looks in good shape and he’s just taking it all in. I’m very happy to have him here and looking forward to getting started with him.”
We believe this gelding was a steal at auction. Whilst his form on the flat is moderate he is still very inexperienced. His brothers and sisters never reached maturity until they were at least three and Max believes his inclusion in an online sale may explain the reason he was overlooked. We are fortunate that Max had done his background checks before the sale and was happy to back his judgement. If Rum Diamond does just need a little time, then it is possible we have really excellent purchase.
After being at the stables for a few days the trainer told us:
We gave him a couple of days to settle, but gave him his first schooling lesson, and he looks a very natural jumper. I was very happy with what I saw, he's had a few canters and looks to be a good mover and has a good attitude. He’s still got some growing to do, but so far he has been ticking all the right boxes. I think he just needs a bit of time and a few weeks off in the field will do him the power of good.
A closer examination of his flat form suggests it’s not quite as disappointing as it might look on paper. His third run at Lingfield was so-so but although he finished last of 11 at Kempton, you could throw a blanket over the field, and he stuck out the back in a slow run race. He was well backed and so there is a suggestion that much better was expected. All his racing has been done on the All-Weather. It will be interesting to see him when he gets onto the turf.
To fit in with his race plans, the share period for Rum Diamond will start on 1st October 2026 and go through until 30th April 2027. If he is ready to race prior to the ‘official’ start of the share period, we would of course bring the share period forward so that you get the benefit of his first runs.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved with a superbly bred individual with enormous scope and potential. It could well be a very exciting journey…
Form & Race Plans
Although Rum Diamond arrived at Max Comley’s race fit, the plan was always not to run him until the autumn. This was confirmed when he arrived and Max told us that he looked like a horse that would benefit from a summer out in the field.
Having arrived in April, Rum Diamond will have a short spell of schooling and cantering just so Max can get a handle on some of the ways of the gelding and assess how much work will need doing when he comes back into training. His early schooling and cantering was very encouraging.
He is expected to be back out in the field by May. He will have 2-3 months to settle in, have some sun (we hope!) on his back and get to pick at lots of lush green grass. He will the opportunity to grow and develop while on his break ready to come back into work in the late summer/early autumn.
Following his summer break, he will be brought back into full training in the autumn and will then be prepared for a Novice Hurdle campaign in 2026/2027. We would expect him to commence racing from early October and race through until next April.
Rum Diamond is an open book and though the plan initially is to have a Novice Hurdle campaign, things could change depending on the level of ability that the gelding is showing in his early races.
Rum Diamond 2026 Guarantee
We expect to get 5-7 runs and sometimes more from all our older horses per share period/season, however, you should expect periods of no racing as a result of recuperation from injury or training setbacks. This share period runs from April 2026 right through until April 2027. This will include the scheduled summer break for the gelding.
During the season the horse may be rested or have time away from the track to recover and it is quite normal for a flat horse to have periods of 3-6 weeks of rest between races.
We provide guarantees with all our racehorses. If this horse has a season-ending injury and has not already RACED TWICE during the share period, we will replace her with an alternative horse for the remainder of the season. Replacement horses may not be of the same quality, are provided with no further guarantees, and no alternative choice can be provided. Prize-money cannot be paid on any replacements, but all other benefits such as yard visits and race day badges are available.
As a shareholder you MUST ACCEPT that we cannot guarantee your horse's performance, a specific volume of runs (beyond our minimum guarantee), or that runs will be evenly spaced throughout the share period. This is the chance you take when owning any racehorse and participating in this ownership experience. If you will be disappointed with only 2-3 runs from your racehorse during the season, then please DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THIS OR ANY OTHER RACEHORSE, as you could be disappointed.
We believe in being crystal clear with our shareholders - any participation in racehorse ownership is a risk, and we are UNABLE TO PROVIDE REFUNDS because of share periods which finish early due to injury or retirement - as training, vets, and livery fees for the horse still remain whether they are racing or not. Also, part of your lease payment covers the five months of their pre-season training.
This risk is the chance all shareholders take, as we do ourselves when participating in the ownership of a racehorse.