The appropriately named Members Joy is favoured to make a winning debut for her band of owners at Sandown on Saturday.
The two-year-old Robert Smerdon-trained filly is raced by the MRC Horse Club, a concept devised by the Melbourne Racing Club to get its 10,000 to 12,000 members involved in horse ownership.
The grey daughter of Hussonet is one of five juveniles, all of them making their racing debut, in the Swettenham Stud Dash For Cash Plate (900m).
Members Joy, to be ridden by Michael Rodd, goes into the dash well schooled having had two trials for a second and a win over 800m at the Cranbourne Training Centre.
“The Melbourne Racing Club set up the MRC Horse Club to give our members an experience of racehorse ownership,” the club’s racing and media executive Josh Rodder said.
“It’s something they can be passionate about, similar to footy clubs and their supporters.”
Swettenham Stud principal Adam Sangster purchased the filly for $85,000 at the Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale in January and the MRC Horse Club has leased her.
Members Joy is the first foal from Flying Spur mare Rosa’s Spur who won six races including the 2007 Group Three Dane Ripper (1400m) at Eagle Farm and Listed Dark Jewel (1400m) and earned more than $270,000 prize money.
“She’s bred to run early, she’s very precocious,” Rodder said.
Rodder said the filly was being readied for the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Sandown on earlier this month but a setback delayed her debut by a couple of weeks.
“The members are actually getting a great insight into how exciting and frustrating horse ownership can be because she has been set to line up a couple of times,” he said.
“She had a little mishap on the way back from the swimming pool, but she’s recovered and trialled super at Cranbourne.”
Members were asked to name the filly and also design the club’s racing silks which are blue, orange horse logo, collar and armbands, blue and orange striped cap.
Members Joy is $2.10 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of the David Hayes-trained Mrs Gray at $3.20 with the Anthony Freedman-trained Chosen Moment at $5.
AAP TURF
