How did the Best Women Syndicate get started?

The Best Women Syndicate is officially four ladies, and I’m the syndicate organiser really. We’re all racing fans. We went to last year’s Punchestown Festival together and we had such a great time that we bought a horse, there and then, on the spot! We knew Conor Hayes and Henry de Bromhead through connections of syndicate members.

We knew that Conor and Denis Hayes had bred a few nice horses that had won in England and have had good success with their pointers. We’d been at Punchestown all day and we were having dinner in the Killashee Hotel, and we gave Conor 10 minutes to make his pitch. He was nervous, but he composed himself, gave us his pitch and that was it.

For three of us, it’s been our first foray into ownership. We feel privileged to be with Henry, he’s such a nice human being, and he’s a legend.

We’re now officially on our journey, so we’ll see where it takes us. Owning a horse is something we’ve always wanted to do. We’ve all been great friends for at least 20 years. Lisa and Sarah have known each other 50 years. They went to school together.

What we’ve found, is that owning a horse is a real bonding experience. It’s not just the racing, it’s all of the chat and the planning. We were really good friends already, but this has brought us closer and it’s a lovely thing to talk about together. Not every day is going to be a golden day, but there’s no pressure for it to be with us. We’ll take it as it comes.

Did you have a connection to racing before becoming an owner?

I live in Dorset in the UK, and I come from a sports background. I’ve worked with Horse Racing Ireland, which gave me a good knowledge of racing in Ireland. I had a long career in sports media rights, working mostly with rugby, football, cricket, and a little bit of racing. We worked with HRI advising them on evaluations of their media and betting rights. I worked closely with Paul Dermody and he’s a fantastic guy to deal with.

Did you come over to Ireland last weekend for the race?

Three of the four of us came over to Ireland for the weekend. We had a yard visit at Knockeen on Saturday morning, and then we went racing. We stayed at a beautiful hotel outside of Waterford and just had a great time in Ireland. We were with Henry and The Besty Woman just before the race, and Henry patted her neck and said ‘go on, go and make a name for yourself’. I thought it was very touching.

Watching the race, I was completely silent. As she turned into the home straight, I knew we had it. The way John Gleeson was in the saddle, completely static, I knew we’d win three furlongs out. Everyone else was trying to play catch up, and she held a really good pace all the way around. We knew we were in good hands with John, he planned to ride from the front and he did exactly that. We went to a really lovely pub just outside Wexford called The Lobster Pot after racing and it was great.

Have you got a plan for where she’ll go next?

We’re entirely guided by Henry. She’ll go on her holidays now to the Hayes’ yard and then I think Henry wants her back in July. I would imagine he’ll line up some fairly low-key maiden hurdles for her in August. We’re dreaming, you have to dream. Dreaming is the point of it.

Conor always said she’d win races, right from the start. There’s a very relieved young man from Waterford. When Henry first called me back in October, they’d taken her to gallop and I’d missed five calls from him, so I knew there was something up. It was either very good or very bad. He said that he was really surprised at how she’d worked. She was way better than her point-to-point form suggests. We’re still taking baby steps.

What would you say are the most important things for a first-time owner to have in mind?

Buying The Besty Woman was a spur of the moment decision, it was non-strategic! I think the two most important things are to buy from someone that you trust, and do it with friends. It’s a more rewarding experience in every sense. And thirdly, work with a lovely trainer. Fourthly, get lucky! There’s so much luck involved when you’re buying a horse, but when it’s from someone you trust, you know they’ll do right by you.

I know you’re a long way off, but have you given any thought into The Besty Woman’s life after racing?

Our dearest wish is to have a safe and successful season with The Besty Woman, and to get a second horse. We accept the risks, but we’re all very welfare aware. When The Besty Woman retires, hopefully after a long career, we’re committed to her welfare for her whole life. There’s a famous advertising campaign in the UK, a dog is for life, not just for Christmas, and we take the view that a horse is for life, not just a racing career.