March 2026 Blog

March arrived and so did spring. With the exception of the nightly drop in temperature, we had sunshine, warmth and a rejuvenation of nature. Droopy catkins dropped to the ground, where daffodils grew tall wearing their bonnets in many shades of canary. Pheasants courted as if at a sixth form disco, males skirmishing over hens. Trees donned their bridal wear of white, ivory and blush whilst Forsythia bushes exploded into bright yellow. The first daisies opened their cheery little faces.

Cheltenham Festival week traditionally starts with the afternoon meeting at Stratford, but this year I was sent to Taunton with Another Enki. He is a big raw baby, from the same family as Yala Enki and prolific-winning ‘pointer Grace A Vous Enki. Although he ran weak and greenly, the yard thinks he has a big future.              

I was delighted to lead up Clive Hitchings’ yellow and blue colours, which I last did at Maisemore point-to-point in 2005. Since then, Clive’s spotty colours, whilst still staying prominent between the Flags, have also won on big days at tracks like Cheltenham, Newbury and Haydock. In the autumn, Clive sent the yard a second youngster as well as Another Enki, and I hope one day we can add to those memorable victories.

After sending out a double at the Cheltenham Festival, which I detailed in a previous blog, this one focuses on a handful of people who, past or present, have had an involvement with O’Neill Racing.        

On the Thursday, I had the pleasure of taking Monbeg Genius (Minnie) when he ran in the last, the Kim Muir Amateurs’ chase. He was ridden by James Scallan, who finished second on him in an irish point-to-point, way back in 2020. I couldn’t have been more delighted when Minnie ran well, finishing third and jumping for fun – and James was chuffed too. With a grin, he said that Minnie was ‘the same old messer that he always was’.

  I just felt proud of my beloved horse. I have had so many great days with him and despite never winning a ‘big’ race, he’s taken me to some great days and has finished third in two Festivals.

As the saying goes, ’It takes a village’ and there is a long list of people behind winners like Wilful, who won the County Hurdle in blistering style. For Wilful, this includes his owner’s Fitri Hay’s stepdaughter, Lauren Hay. Lauren worked in various guises at Jackdaws Castle since 2017, before moving to Charlie Longsdon as assistant in 2023. Last August, she left racing to become a front of house receptionist at Soho Farmhouse.

Yet, I use the word ‘left’ loosely because Lauren, 30, is still deeply involved with the jumpers her Dad Jim and Fitri own here and at Longsdon’s.

By now, Lauren has seen Cheltenham glory from many angles. Firstly, by leading up a Festival winner when Sky Pirate won the Grand Annual, albeit in the midst of a covid lockdown when smiles were hidden behind masks.

‘Looking after Pirate was just a dream come true! I had the best days with him. He was the biggest gentleman at home and the races, loving cuddles and kisses. His Festival win was the best day ever – 17.03.21 will always have a special place in my heart. If anyone deserved crowds, it was Pirate but sadly, he didn’t get any. However, he got his biggest supporters screaming him home – myself and, of course, Nick Scholfield who was riding him and adored him so much! We walked him back in to ‘Accidentally In love’ by Counting Crows, which head of travelling Harrison Day and I were singing all the way to the winner’s enclosure.’

Lauren and Sky Pirate at the '21 Festival and this year with the bosses and leading in Wilful

Though no longer leading up, Lauren has always been a staunch supporter of Wilful, who was emotively named after the first boat built by her late grandfather.

‘My Dad Jim has been so faithful to Jonjo’s and he allowed me to name his – back then – unnamed Westerner gelding. So, the horse already meant so much. I knew he would get to Cheltenham but wasn’t sure if he would win. Just to get there was a dream come true!’

Some hopefully saw the jubilant scenes of the Boss hugging Lauren, practically throwing her sideways in glee, her hair swaying like a blond tide.

‘I couldn’t control myself,’ she said, still barely able to. ‘When I saw Wilful and Jonj still cruising to the last, I couldn’t help but scream them home. We’d done it!! People work so hard to find good horses, and then we had a good National Hunt one to add to all the brilliant Flat horses. It was totally unbelievable!’ 

Lauren’s smile grew even bigger when she added, ‘And to do it for Jackdaws Castle meant so much after working there for years.’

  Longer term staff may remember the winning jockey on Cathy Williams’ Ask Brewster in the Kim Muir, Shane Cotter (pictured below). About four years ago, he came to work here for work experience. He is my sister-in-law’s nephew and was still at school, and is now a successful amateur in Ireland. Even back then, he was a great rider, a cool-headed character and rode a great race to win at the Festival for the first time, aged nineteen.

That day, I was only able to go racing because my colleagues, head girl Georgia Plumb and second travelling Lucy Westlake, kindly offered to do the nursery run. I emailed the nursery their mugshots and sent Georgia detailed instructions. After watching Minnie run, the girls looked at each other, exclaimed shrilly, ‘The kids’, before rushing out the door, concluding that was ‘mum life’.

I finished up after seven and went home to find Georgia, bent double, holding my one-year-old’s hands as she walked in circles as unsteady as a drunk, whereas my three-year-old had taken a shine to Lucy and was squashed onto the seat next to her. There were remnants of spaghetti hoops-on-toast in the kitchen and on the coffee table, Lucy's and Georgia’s packets of sweets, bottle of Zinfandel rosé and Creme Eggs. I am not sure who slept better – the little ones or my colleagues.

  I am often grateful for the kindness of my co-workers, especially after a fraught nursery drop-off. I rush into the yard and Meg will put my bridle on, Amy and McKenzie give me surplus rubbers and girth sleeves and Adam often helps me to grab everything I need. It might be as easy as brushing shavings out of my horse’s tail, but minutes are saved and I can catch a breath in the middle of what has already proved a busy morning.

Only a few staff have been here long enough to remember Petra Florianová, who returned this year to experience Gold Cup day firsthand. For about six years, Petra had been a regular, if sporadic, team member through many summers and winters. That last time, my Jack Russell Daisy was a puppy and Jonjo’s tawny terrier Hughie was still alive: it had been nine years. Petra is native to the Czech Republic, where her parents train and breed racehorses and her brother Adam is a top jockey, and she always returned here when her studies allowed. Growing up surrounded by horses and dogs, Petra never faltered on her quest to work with animals.

When Petra finally completed her university education, she began living her dream of becoming a vet. She works in ‘Tiegesundheitszentrum Nossen’ in Germany, but not too far from her home. ‘It’s a veterinary practice,’ explained Petra, ‘where we treat mainly cats dogs and horses. Sometimes alpacas and small ruminants find their way to us!’

Bringing along her boyfriend, Martin Wszolek, who works in property, Petra took a few days to visit family, sightsee in Stow-on-the-Wold and at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm. With a smile, Petra described Martin as a ‘horseracing enthusiast with a hay allergy’ who loved going to Cheltenham.

I hope it’s not nearly another decade until Petra swings by the Cotswolds again. People come and go, like the ebb and flow of the sea, but the odd ones bounce again onto our beach, like precious flotsam never forgotten.

Petra riding out in yesteryear, back in the yard that was her second home for so long and in the saddle (second in the string)

To top off a wonderful week, I was delighted to see my friend and former colleague Flo Willis lead up the Midland Grand National winner Isaac Des Obeaux at Uttoxeter on the Saturday. Whilst here, Flo rose in the ranks to head girl and is now second travelling for Paul Nicholls. Flo's 'Isaac' won bravely under Sam Twiston-Davies after the four-mile slog, and knowing Flo, there would have been big celebrations through the night. 

Flo and Isaac

March slipped away into April and the excitement returned for the best three days at Aintree. However, with Minnie not rated high enough to run in the Aintree Grand National (all hopes are pinned on Johnnywho getting in), he goes to the Irish equivalent… Fingers crossed and all the four-leaf clovers that he runs well again.