Last Updated on January 2, 2026
The Wear A Pink Ribbon syndicate are dreaming big after Crystal Black’s eye-catching Ballyroan Stakes run puts the Irish St Leger firmly on the radar.
The seven-year-old, who gave the syndicate a summer they’ll never forget by landing the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot last year, was back in action for the first time since a wind operation.
Under regular partner Colin Keane, he travelled sweetly before finishing second to Sons And Lovers — a run that had connections buzzing about what might come next.
Eyes on the Curragh
The Irish St Leger at the Curragh next month has been the plan for a while, and syndicate member Neville Eager was more than happy with what he saw.
“We were very happy with Crystal Black’s return,” Eager said. “At one point you’d have called him the winner but Colin said he took a blow a furlong and a half out. To finish as close as he did after that was great.
Our aim from the start of the year was the Irish St Leger but he had a wind op and was off for 117 days. It seems to have done the job. He was never going to be fully fit going to Leopardstown, so we were very happy. He hung a bit and Ger [Keane] thinks he might be a little better going right-handed.”
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Eager describes Crystal Black as “a monster of a horse” and admits the prospect of taking on Ireland’s best stayers is one the syndicate would relish.
“If you look at the picture of him turning for home at Leopardstown, it’s like something out of the Gold Cup,” he said. “It’d be great to have a runner in the Irish St Leger and get a crack at some of the big guns.”
The syndicate’s name comes from a fundraising initiative for the Irish Cancer Society, and the group have been on quite the ride together. After Ascot, Crystal Black backed it up with a win over subsequent Irish Cesarewitch hero The Euphrates in the Ballyroan, stretching his winning streak to five before a setback curtailed an ambitious tilt at the Melbourne Cup.
This season started with a solid fourth in the Alleged Stakes in April, and his Leopardstown return suggested there’s still more to come. Whether he lines up in the St Leger or takes a slightly different route via the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown the day before remains to be seen.
“We’ll leave it to Ger,” Eager said. “I doubt Australia is an option now after missing it last year. We’re probably better staying at home — but if we get to the Curragh for the St Leger, that would be very special.”
How Syndicates Bring People Into the Winner’s Circle
Syndicates like Wear A Pink Ribbon have become one of the most popular ways for racing fans to experience ownership without the huge costs involved in going it alone. By pooling resources, members share the cost of purchasing and training the horse, along with any prize money won.
It’s not just about the financial side — syndicates give members stable visits, race day access, and the chance to be part of the celebrations when a horse wins.
In Ireland and the UK, syndicates range from small groups of friends to large, professionally run operations with hundreds of members. The BHA and Horse Racing Ireland have guidelines for registering syndicates to ensure transparency and good management, and both bodies actively promote syndicate ownership as a way of keeping the sport accessible.
For many, the appeal is as much about the camaraderie and shared memories as it is about the racing itself. As Wear A Pink Ribbon’s journey with Crystal Black shows, you don’t need a sheikh’s fortune to end up in the parade ring at Royal Ascot — just a good horse, a committed trainer, and a group of people willing to share the dream.
