Dally-ing in horses is a Treat

"I think I am a lucky chap," Dallaglio told the managing director of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, an increasingly successful syndicate operation which actively recruits from the world of celebrity.

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And so it has proved. Treat, a Mick Channon-trained filly and one of four horses in which Dallaglio owns a share, is bound for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday week.

Regime, trained by Michael Bell, is due to reappear in the Betfred Classic Trial at Sandown tomorrow, en route to the Derby, no less.

"It would be a dream just to have one runner in a Classic, the equivalent of playing at Twickenham," Dallaglio said. "But two would be amazing."

Treat and Regime provided the Wasps captain with an astonishing first year as a committed owner in 2006. Treat (prize money so far £54,796) won her maiden at second time of asking before finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Fillies Mile at Ascot last September.

Regime (prize money £202,070) has proved even more lucrative by virtue of taking second place in Ireland's richest ever race, the Goffs Million at the Curragh, also in September.

"I have been getting some stick about Regime from Chris Wright, the owner of Wasps and a good friend," Dallaglio said.

"Chris has horses, but last year wasn't a good one for him. He jokingly asked Michael how come I had managed to get such a decent one. Michael told him he must be paying me too much at Wasps."

This is one lucky chap. And as if that were not enough, a third horse, Provost, won at Yarmouth earlier this month.

Like so many these days, Dallaglio enjoys the benefits of ownership as a member of a syndicate. "I do not own a racehorse as such — if I had a footballer's money then maybe," he said.

"Doing it this way means it is reasonably affordable and I can enjoy the same thrill. It's a hobby, a bit of fun, offering the chance of a great day out. I find it a release, a relaxing diversion.

"And by sharing the costs, I can be involved with more than one horse. I have around a tenth of each of four horses. It is not cheap, but not a staggering amount either."

Dallaglio actually had winning form from a previous venture. "Me and a few rugby mates at Wasps used to have a handicap jumper called King Georges with trainer John Tuck in Gloucestershire.

"He won when England were playing Wales in Cardiff and he went in again the week we won the World Cup in 2003." Dallaglio is a member of a growing tribe of sporting and non-sporting personalities who are investing some of their riches in thoroughbred flesh and, in turn, being embraced by a racing industry increasingly aware of the importance of celebrity.

For Harry Herbert, who numbers the likes of Jodie Kidd, actor James Nesbitt and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson among his owners, bringing celebrities into racing makes sense.

He explained: "We actively pursue it. It is good for my business from a public relations point of view and it is also good for racing in terms of dusting down its stuffy image and raising the profile." Dallaglio's busy rugby commitments have meant that he has been unlucky in missing the best of the action from his horses. But, fixtures permitting, he will be at Newmarket, hopefully to see a real Treat.