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Stride launches challenger platform to drive participation in horse racing ownership and wider fan engagement in the sport
Backed and developed by SportCaller founders, new syndication platform for racing outlines next-gen features and streamlined admin & comms from one responsive digital hub
Stride, the next-generation horse racing platform that truly democratises Flat racehorse syndication and deepens the ownership experience, has been launched to bring new levels in value and engagement for key stakeholders who represent the lifeblood of the sport.
Stride plans to become the premier racing communications platform that both centralises and optimises communications between syndicate owners and their respective horses, trainers, stable support staff, jockeys and racecourses. Its aim is to support, illuminate and enrich the experience of owning a thoroughbred on the journey from the purchase ring to the winner’s enclosure.
The Stride team brings together a host of familiar faces and heavy hitters from the domains of sport, racing, betting and fan-engagement technology for a clearer take on fractional ownership that delivers increased engagement against the backdrop of a progressively homogenised digital-management landscape for horse racing.
Cillian Barry and Eugene Cosgrove, founders of SportCaller – the market-leading free-to-play sports games supplier whose cornerstone clients and games were horse racing-focussed – take the reins as Chairman and Head of Product respectively, while veteran COO Donal Browne has been recruited to steward day-to-day business operations for a venture whose horses will initially be placed with Group 1-winning trainer Joseph O’Brien, whose talented string is housed at picturesque Piltown in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
However, Stride’s CEO and prime mover is former Munster and Leicester rugby star Johne Murphy, who has proven his equine and syndicate management muscle in recent years with the formation of both Rugby & Racing and Thoroughbred Racing Syndicates, the latter also attached to the O’Brien yard, whose successful track record for buying and selling equine talent and exploiting a primed bloodstock market created a dream foundation on which to build Stride’s subsequent flagship brand.
As an eloquent case in point, the business sold five of the six horses which were bought to race on the Flat in 2021 for close to seven figures, giving backers a 27% return on their investment. Stride is also part of the Techstars Sports Accelerator, a global network that assists entrepreneurial ventures in succeeding over the long-term. Founded in 2006, Techstars has now invested in more than 3,000 companies and today has a market cap of $75 billion.
Murphy continues in his multi-faceted role, also acting as Stride’s spokesperson and a passionate rudder for both thoroughbred and syndicate recruitment.
Murphy commented: “Stride is more than a responsive platform for buying and selling shares in elite-level racehorses. It’s also a way for racing to reconnect, engage and retain its most vital stakeholders: passionate owners who support the sport through times good and bad. Our fractional ownership model readily articulates the merits over micro-ownership and its associated cautionary tales, and also enables our members to choose a portfolio of racehorses that elevates enjoyment and mitigates downside at a challenging economic time across most sectors. Investors can now research, buy, manage and watch their stable of syndicated thoroughbreds at a fraction traditional ownership spends, with zero hidden costs or clawbacks. The price you pay for your share in the syndicate is the sole fee you’ll ever be asked for.
“But our unique Stride platform and its underpinning technology is also here to help owners seamlessly experience racehorse ownership at the click of a button, wherever their busy lives take them on the map. That can mean anything from what you’d expect in the simple joys of sharing the risk with friends and enjoying the raceday thrills and spills; to what you might not in the form of enhanced stable-engagement tools, or regular re-evaluations for profitable resale opportunities. No-one’s got a keener eye for acquiring and training top-class talent than Joseph, so we can’t wait to see how our first syndicated fare over the 2023 season ahead.”
“Stable visits and racecourse privileges are par for the course, alongside the clubbable craic with your family, mates and members. But it’s a long time between drinks in racing! And in racehorse ownership there should be so much more to enjoy, evaluate and benefit from experientially and analytically. Stride is the fluctuating portfolio you won’t want to put down – and the one your friends and colleagues actually want to hear about!”
Cillian Barry, Stride Chairman, added: “Having seen what Johne and Joseph achieved with their first round of syndicates, it’s a thrill to combine their passion and equine acumen for Stride with our own technical know-how around proprietary technology platforms and improved engagement. Eugene and I are already enjoying getting back to our shared first love of racing – remember, SportCaller was initially named RaceCaller!
“Stride’s next-generation informational and experiential platform already includes an array of management, administration and engagement features whose quality and variety set it apart from its rivals who have to date benefitted from a niche sector which has been slow to adopt transformative technology and the latest techniques in social engagement. We naturally aim to build on that over the coming 12 months, fostering a best-in-breed intuitive digital hub, whose array of audiovisual, editorial and data outputs will take members closer to the action than ever before. Whether your horse is fighting out a high-octane finish at the track or enjoying a well-deserved roll in the hay with the stable cat, we’ll capture and communicate it all.”
Stride’s unique operating model:
Stride purchases unraced yearlings and two-year-old breeze up horses in a price bracket from €25,000 – €150,000. This means Stride horses cover every maiden option in Ireland, facilitating multiple runners and accompanying racecourse engagements throughout the season, and granting syndicate members multiple selling points over the year. Stride typically sell shares in syndicates of between 2-6 horses. These syndicates are comprised of horses throughout the aforementioned price range. The intention is to sell within 12 months of purchase and profits returned to owners. While there are no fixed amounts for syndicate investment, a 5% investment in one syndicate would usually range from €5,000 to €50,000. The price you pay for your share in the syndicate is the only fee members pay.
The Stride platform’s features and tools include but are not limited to:
- Website, social media feeds & mobile app-centralised comms (soon to debut in the App Store)
- Syndicate management & updates (direct from both trainer and work riders)
- Yard tours and live stable-cams
- Profile pieces (from top trainers and jockeys to key stable staff)
- Gallops videos
- Racecourse workouts
- Equine interest videos (your horse, its education, its stablemates, unpacking their unique characters and idiosyncrasies)
- Equine welfare (tracking and ensuring your horse’s wellbeing)
- Easy-access group chat interaction and networking with other syndicate members
- Race preview and reviews
- Ratings, timings, form and results
- Early entries, declarations and race-shape criteria
- Up-to-the-second betting data and odds
- Live low-latency raceday streaming
- Breeding prospects / resale opportunities
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Boomerang Partners wowed the guests of iGB L!VE London with a celebration of the first anniversary of the strategic partnership with AC Milan
On July 2-3, Boomerang Partners, a global marketing agency, participated in iGB L!VE London. One of the event’s highlights was the celebration of the first anniversary of the strategic partnership between Boomerang and AC Milan, one of the world’s premier football clubs. Boomerang is its Official Regional Partner.
Anton Eshtokin, Chief Marketing Officer at Boomerang Partners, commented: “We are very pleased with Boomerang Partners’ participation in iGB L!VE London. It is symbolic that, a year ago at iGB, we announced our strategic partnership with AC Milan. We celebrated the first anniversary of this epic collaboration in a great atmosphere, featuring match ticket raffles. We were delighted to welcome hundreds of guests to our booth, highlighting once again the prestige of our partnership with AC Milan in the industry. We have many more joint projects ahead of us, and we are sure that we will be able to surprise everyone.”
The celebration of the strategic partnership with AC Milan was one of the main (but not the only) reasons why the Boomerang Partners booth was a hotspot for visitors to the exhibition. More than 1,000 people visited it during the two-day event. Over 900 guests took part in the Penalty Challenge. The challenge featured two raffles — the first held offline at the Boomerang Partners booth on July 2, and the winner received premium tickets to one of the most famous football matches in the world between AC Milan and Inter FC. The second draw took place online on July 3 on Boomerang’s Instagram page. The winner will receive tickets to an AC Milan match in the Italian Serie A or the Coppa Italia.
The winner of the offline drawing on July 2 was Saad Shaikh, a data engineer at Betzoo Media. He shared his emotions: “This is my first time in iGB. My experience was truly great, and thank you again for giving me the opportunity to have a good time and enjoy the experience I’ll have in Milan. I haven’t been to Milan before. Back in my old days, my family went. Yeah, so this is my second chance. And thank you, Boomerang, for giving me this opportunity.”
iGB L!VE London was successful for Boomerang Partners. The increased attention from exhibition guests to the Boomerang Arena booth yielded impressive results. The agency held more than 120 business meetings and signed 15 new partnership agreements. As the brand enters its second year of partnership with AC Milan, it remains ambitious to follow its slogan, ‘Live without limits.’
About Boomerang
Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global brand offering a wide range of services. Boomerang is the Official Regional Partner of AC Milan and collaborates with women’s football star and influencer Alisha Lehmann. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards — a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Boomerang launched six new products in 2024, which contributed to an almost 1.5-fold increase in product users.
Boomerang’s portfolio contains 17+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide personalized bonuses and 24/7 multilingual support.
The post Boomerang Partners wowed the guests of iGB L!VE London with a celebration of the first anniversary of the strategic partnership with AC Milan appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
“We weren’t just present — we were participants of Runfest. And that’s one of the most important aspects,” said Artak Ashkhatoyan, Deputy CEO of Totogaming.
On July 6, Totogaming joined the Cernica Pantelimon Runfest in Romania, once again emphasizing the importance of promoting amateur sports and a healthy lifestyle.
“Supporting such initiatives is a priority for TotoGaming. First, 50% of the proceeds from RunFest will be donated to the CLOVES Romania Foundation, supporting children affected by CLOVES Syndrome. And second, we’ve always believed in showing our passion for sports through actions, not just words. Have you noticed how we’re constantly rushing through life, yet when we look back, it often feels like we haven’t moved at all? It’s important for us to lead by example and show the importance of participation. This is exactly the message we’re promoting through our team’s active involvement in the marathon. After all, there can never be too much sport in our lives,” said TotoGaming’s Deputy CEO, Artak Ashkhatoyan.
A Simple Concept, a Powerful Impact
The concept of this sports event is straightforward: choose a distance between 1 to 21 kilometers and run. The goal? Make sport an integral part of everyday life. The crowd certainly embraced that, gathering as early as 8:30 a.m. — on a Sunday morning.
Totogaming contributed in two distinct capacities: as an official sponsor and as an active participant. A dedicated team of 13 employees represented the company at the Cernica Pantelimon RunFest, with 7 of them proudly taking part as runners.
More Than Just a Run
It wasn’t an easy challenge — especially because among Totogaming’s runners were people for whom running isn’t a daily habit, or even part of their life at all. Yet they couldn’t miss the opportunity, not least from the perspective of corporate responsibility.
“We just finished the 7.5-kilometer race!” shared Petrut-Adrian Toea from the Totogaming team.
“It was amazing, honestly. Around the 2-kilometer mark, I had this little battle with myself — I told myself I had to finish the race, no matter what. And I did it! I came in around 60th place out of over 100 runners, which for me is a really good result.”
“I see my participation as a small contribution toward promoting a healthy lifestyle. In my close circle, everyone knows I’m not exactly the sporty type. I’m not athletic, and I usually prefer having fun in other ways. But showing up here, early in the morning, in this intense heat, and completing almost 8 kilometers with just one short break — I think it set a good example.”
“I hope seeing someone like me finish this challenge motivates my friends to try something similar for their own health. I believe that’s a meaningful contribution”, – added Petrut-Andrea.
Totogaming also made it possible for every attendee to bring sport into their lives — quite literally. At the Totogaming tent, participants could ride stationary bikes and receive prizes based on the number of points they earned through their efforts.
Whether they were running, cycling, or simply cheering for friends, the goal for everyone was the same: to reach the destination of champions — by bringing sport into everyday life.
The post Totogaming Joins Cernica Pantelimon RunFest: Not Just Present, But Fully Participating appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Affilka by SOFTSWISS, an affiliate management software platform, has secured the title of Affiliate Software Supplier at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards for the second consecutive year. The awards ceremony took place on 3 July at London’s iconic The Roundhouse, where the iGaming industry gathered to celebrate the most successful and innovative companies of the past year.
The consecutive win reinforces Affilka’s growing leadership in iGaming affiliate marketing software. Over the past 12 months, the product has consistently evolved, launching a series of powerful new features.
Among the recent updates is the Cross-Brand Player Duplicate Detection tool, which identifies overlapping player accounts across different casino brands within a single affiliate program. The platform also introduced the new Traffic Report, which provides real-time, click-to-registration and click-to-FTD metrics with multi-dimensional filters. Another new feature allows affiliates to access data on their marketing campaigns and tracking links directly via API, enabling automated data extraction and custom integrations.
At the end of last year, Affilka rolled out the Geo-Distributed Redirect feature, which boosts site visits by reducing redirect times from 1.5 seconds to 300–500 milliseconds, and the Cohort Analysis Report, which offers deeper insights into player behaviour.
Anastasia Borovaya, Head of Affilka by SOFTSWISS, commented on the recognition: “Winning this award two years in a row is an incredible achievement for our team. It reflects our hard work, creativity, and deep commitment to the continuing improvement of our platform. What makes this win special is knowing that the tools we build are already helping our partners solve real challenges. Whether refining traffic strategies or making smarter, data-driven decisions, we’re proud Affilka plays a part in their success.”
Thanks to ongoing updates and the introduction of new innovative features, Affilka by SOFTSWISS now supports over 450 brands, 400 thousand affiliate accounts, and 98 million player registrations.
Earlier in June, SOFTSWISS won two prestigious trophies at another EGR Ceremony – Marketing & Innovation Awards 2025. The company’s marketing department received the Marketing Team of the Year Award for its bold creative approach and effective use of new technologies and data analytics. In addition, Valentina Bagniya, CMO at SOFTSWISS, was named B2B Marketer of the Year for transforming the company’s marketing function into a powerful brand engine within the iGaming industry.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 30,000 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team counts over 2,000 employees.
The post Affilka by SOFTSWISS Wins at EGR B2B Awards for Second Year Running appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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