LIKE just about everyone who has owned a racehorse, I have had a few ups and lots of downs on the racecourse.

I was born in New York City and grew up in typical American suburbia. Racing for me? Secretariat. End of.

But then I met Edmund, the son of a Welsh sheep farmer. His father’s passion was to breed and race point-to-pointers on the north-west circuit and he did so very successfully. I loved those races.

GRAND NATIONAL BET

In 1986 we went to a local London bookmaker to bet on the Grand National. Walking through those plastic streamers into the smoke-filled room, awash with toothless men who stared at this alien woman amongst them, THAT was quite the eye-opener for me as well.

Edmund plonked down £10 - a MASSIVE bet for us - on West Tip and we returned to his Pimlico flat to watch the big occasion on the rented black and white TV.

West Tip won, of course, and I thought, “Well. this is easy!” Thus began my love affair with racing and my particular affinity for Aintree.

Not long after we were married, we bought into the very first Pipe Scudamore Racing Club. A huge deal at £250 for two years. We were lucky. So we joined other partnerships, but in the end, we had just fun names to show for it - like King Of Swing and Eager To Please.

By 2000, I became a sole owner. I answered an ad in the classified section of the Financial Times, as one does!

Noel Chance had won two Gold Cups and now advertised two stores. I wanted one in particular. Instead, mindful of costs, I sprang for a much less expensive filly. La Luna won bumper and hurdle races but her true value to me arrived when Noel called and said: “Sally, your mare’s not getting any faster.”

BREEDING ADVENTURE

Donning my new breeding cap, I met a second season sire named Kayf Tara.

Meanwhile, shortly after I bought La Luna, I spied a fax showing two legs sold in that gelding I had liked. I first bought one leg and then all of him. Bred in Kilmacow by Mary Morgan, River City won his bumper at Ascot, a listed race at Aintree and then finished third in the Arkle.

He went on to win the Celebration Chase at Sandown in 2006, then a Grade 2. But he actually excelled at being third in Grade 1s, like the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ascot Chase, and so I was often in the winner’s enclosure.

He won 10 times and had a 44% strike rate of winning and placing. When River retired, I retrained him and he became successful in showing circles. Sadly, he passed away last year, aged 20.

Since owning River City, I have had enough lemons to make lemonade, and sadly lost horses both on and off the track.

My fascination with Kayf Tara transformed my ownership career. For a few years, I ran marathons. I used to run from our friends’ farm on Cleeve Hill straight into the centre of the Cheltenham Racecourse.

For two festivals, I just about literally ran into Henry de Bromhead who, I imagine, thought that I was a very bold and unusual American.

In September 2012, I visited Knockeen. And it was in the loose school that I met Special Tiara, haring around the shed like a lunatic.

Already a winner of his maiden hurdle, this crazy son of Kayf Tara was due to run the next day in his first chase and he could be for sale. He had failed the veterinary on his wind but I saw him then win at Ballinrobe and thought ‘Why not roll the dice? How bad could his wind be with two wins and three second placings in his five races?’

His first run three weeks later brought blacktype. And there we hatched our plot for Aintree. We ignored the flop at Leopardstown and swerved the Arkle at Cheltenham. He won as the 28/1 complete outsider in the 2013 Grade 1 Maghull Chase.

Then patience, 15 months of waiting. Finally came the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase when Barry Geraghty dared my horse to jump. I was nearly in tears as I ran to lead him in, so happy!

PATIENCE

Special Tiara then came third in the Queen Mother followed by my second win in the Celebration Chase, now a Grade 1. Here he beat Sprinter Sacre by six lengths, cementing the wonderful partnership of the horse I call Mr T with Noel Fehily.

After that Celebration Chase win in 2015 more patience was needed. A valiant third again in the Queen Mother, which was sadly followed by a terrible run at Punchestown. He screamed out for his summer holiday at Ballyogue.

Thankfully, my friend John Lenihan returned Mr T back into training a healthy and happy horse. And so 2016 closes with, hurrah, the Desert Orchid Chase, his win once again lifting our spirits.

Yet Mr T was off most pundits’ radar for last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase. All eyes and most wallets were on Douvan. But John, Henry and his team have kept this horse as enthusiastic as ever about his work.

Yet having run in it three times and come third twice, surely his chance was gone. And seemingly NO chance with Douvan, the banker, the 2/9, most heavily backed, widely tipped horse of the Festival.

History now relates otherwise and my Mr T became only the fourth 10-year-old to win the race. Of course, several headlines were still all about why did Douvan fail? But most others finally recognised how worthy is Special Tiara – what a wonderful win.

I am a lucky girl. Our names are now on the trophy and the walls at Cheltenham for all posterity. Thanks to John, Henry, Heather, Rosemary, Davy, Stephen, Larry and all at the staff at Knockeen, Mr T and I have had our day in the sun and it has been glorious. J