The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has halted entries and declarations for horses owned by the Deva Racing Syndicate after members reported they had not been paid prize-money.
Syndicate Details and Management
The syndicate, run by Ryan Tongue, has a dozen horses in training in Britain, the US, and Dubai. Tongue, 30, previously worked as a jockey and a racing manager, and took over Deva Racing seven years ago. The syndicate's flagship horse, Imperial Emperor, has earned nearly £1.5 million in prize-money, notably through performances in Dubai.
Member Complaints
Tom Walton from Leeds, a syndicate member, told Mirror Racing: “We have uncovered the overselling of shares and ultimately Ryan has kept prize-money.” Walton received roughly £7,000 last year but said another member got nothing, and no prize-money from this season when the horse won £760,000. He added that Tongue stopped responding to him on June 19 and later blocked him.
In April, Walton discovered Imperial Emperor had been entered in an online auction in Dubai without his knowledge. The horse was withdrawn, and the 20 original owning members completed a deal to buy the horse.
BHA Action
A BHA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the BHA has put a stop on entries and declarations being made for Deva Racing Syndicate horses trained in Britain. We encourage any concerned syndicate members to contact the BHA on intel@britishhorseracing.com. We will be making no further comment regarding this matter at this time.”
Ryan Tongue has been approached for comment.
