Horse tattoo serves as lucky charm for Old Gold Racing owner

A horse racing fan from Northamptonshire was so keen on the horse he’d just purchased a share in, Akimos, that he had the equine athlete tattooed on his leg before Wednesday’s race at Ffos Las.

Modelled on a picture from Old Gold Racing’s Facebook page, the syndicate who manages the shares in the horse, Akimos was inked on Ian Prestidge’s leg ahead of the horse’s debut over jumps, and he duly won at odds of 5/1 on his second hurdles start yesterday.

Delighted with the win and discussing his decision to get the tattoo, Ian Prestige, a 59-year-old University assistant from Northamptonshire, said: “Having seen the clip of the horse on Old Gold Racing’s Facebook page, I decided to take a punt and buy a share. It was only £60, which makes being an owner with Old Gold Racing so fun, and it also worked out cheaper than the tattoo I decided to get!

“As for the tattoo, I’ve had a couple of horses inked on me over the years and decided to get Akimos as he’s got a very distinctive face. His trainer, Nicky Henderson is a great trainer, and I had a good feeling about this one too, so I went for it and it’s remarkable he’s managed to win on his second start for us!”

Ed Seyfried, CEO of Old Gold Racing, said: “Congratulations to Ian! He’ll have a great story to tell for many years to come and Akimos looks like a very exciting horse to follow for him and his owners.

“We’ve heard plenty of fun stories over the years from our thousands of owners, and while Ian’s not the first Old Gold Racing owner to get a horse tattoo, it’s fantastic that Akimos was able to repay his faith and win on the track.”

Old Gold Racing is a racing syndicate management business, meaning that it facilitates co-ownership of racehorses with affordable share options. A share in Akimos, who is now sold out, cost just £60 for the year.

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Photo credit: Old Gold Racing