QUIET Reflection, the horse that gave trainer Karl Burke a first Group One winner at Royal Ascot last month, is now locked in a big money tug-of war.

The North Yorkshire racing syndicate, OnToAWinner, which owns the filly have rejected an offer in excess of £1m for her services from a mystery third party.

Some of the teachers, office workers, and builders who make up the syndicate will be at York this afternoon supporting London Protocol on the first day of the John Smith's Cup meeting.

Quiet Reflection, however, won't be there.

She is off to Newmarket, instead, for tomorrow's Darley July Cup – one of the richest sprints in Europe.

If she wins that.....well, the syndicate has just won the lottery!

Make no mistake, these are exciting times for a group formed only five years ago and which is still being run a from a small office in Malton.

England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is among the 200 stakeholders and the syndicate has 42 horses with nine different racing trainers around the country.

It would never even have got off the ground if directors Simon Bridge and Niall O'Brien had not met when working together at a York chocolate factory 18 years ago.

The pair dreamed of owning a racehorse and persuaded local trainer Tim Easterby to help them get started.

Slowly but surely, the syndicate has grown and Quiet Reflection's victory in the Commonwealth Cup provided the undoubted highlight of the story so far.

"It's been an incredible few years," said Bridge, who lives in New Earswick and works as a manager for a food manufacturing company.

"I had to pinch myself when I was stood just 10 yards from the Queen in the parade ring at Royal Ascot last month. Not bad for a guy who grew up on Fishergate, went to Fulford Comprehensive, and worked at Rowntree's for 23 years!

"But that's the great thing about being in our syndicate. It gives ordinary people the chance to rub shoulders with Sheikhs and Royalty and, when your horse wins, it feels like you are the manager of a team that has just won the cup final."

Joining the syndicate costs as little as £65 a month and Quiet Reflection's success has already generated new interest.

"She only cost £44,000 last year at the sales in Doncaster," Bridge reflected. "But she has won over £400,000 in prize money and is now attracting seven figure offers from the some of the biggest racehorse owners in the world.

"If an offer matched our expectations then, 'yes', we would sell – but if she wins the July Cup on Saturday, you could say we have got the best sprinter in the world on our hands. Those in the syndicate who have invested in her will be looking forward to a very nice pay day indeed."

Apart from London Protocol – who runs in the last race of this afternoon's York programme – the OnToAWinner syndicate also run Vaux in tomorrow's John Smith's Stakes Nursery Handicap.

Anyone interested in more details about OnToAWinner should visit www.ontoawinner.net

The highlight of today's seven-race card at York, meanwhile, is the The 188Bet Summer Stakes, a Group Three sprint contest over six furlongs. Richard Fahey's Mayfair Lady is one of the leading contenders.

Tomorrow, over 25,000 punters are expected to descend on the Knavesmire for the 57th running of the John Smith's Cup, the richest middle distance handicap in British racing.