I like Peter Starstedt’s 1969 hit Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)? Here is one verse.
Your name is heard in high places
You know the Aga Khan
He sent you a racehorse for Christmas
And you keep it just for fun, for a laugh, ha-ha-ha.
I don’t think a racehorse would be an entirely welcome Christmas present. The first challenge would be to find a trainer and get the horse to the stables. Then the bills start rolling in: vet, farrier, training, transport … but then it would be fun to choose a name and pick racing colours, silks as they are called. Racing colours may be passed on; my sister’s horses run in our grandfather’s colours. So you will be creating an heirloom.
Why not skip the boring bit about the bills and choose your colours now, if you don’t already have them. The British Horseracing Authority says that “for many owners, selecting their racing colours is one of the most exciting parts of the ownership experience”. The BHA have a dandy online way to design your own silks – here it is.
These are my fantasy colours: dark green and emerald green quarters, white sleeves, dark green cap.