Romy Sia, founder of an organic food retailer in the Philippines, has been on a spending spree since April and has even bought a house in Epsom

A Philippine entrepreneur has been bitten by the racing bug after researching the sport on ChatGPT.

Romy Sia founded an organic food retailer Healthy Options in his home country in 1995 and has developed it into a business which now operates throughout Asia.

He had no involvement in horse racing until earlier this year since when he has been buying horses to race in Britain and Australia. He started spending earlier in the summer and during October has splashed out on more yearlings at the elite Tattersalls October Sale in Newmarket, making acquisitions at both Book 1 and Book 2 auctions.

Sia, speaking to Tattersalls, said: “I’ve always been interested in horse racing but never knew anyone who could bring me to Ascot or Epsom and so I started asking ChatGPT back in April and it’s just like falling into a rabbit hole.

“Every time I asked a question, I got an answer. Finally I discovered I could own horses through syndication, just buying a small share and from there I didn’t stop.”

He continued: “Now I have 23 horses, 12 in Australia and 11 here but I just bought four in this sale alone. I bought three at Book 1 with partners, 50 percent some of them or 37½ others. I’ve been very busy.

“It’s amazing. It’s out of this world. I’ve always thought why haven’t I done this before. Everything is thanks to the good people I have met.”

One of his earliest purchases, a yearling filly secured for Sia in Ireland in July, is to be trained by Jamie Insole while others will be shared among several different trainers.

Sia, who attended the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe earlier this month, said: “The ones we bought last week and this week, one will go to George Scott, one to Karl Burke. Yesterday we bought one for Andrew Balding and I’ve also got a share in one with Roger Varian.

“I plan to buy some more at Tattersalls and hopefully win races in Royal Ascot and Epsom, because I bought a house in Epsom just to be near the horse racing.”