How did you get into racehorse ownership?

By chance. I had ridden as a child and then years ago I went on a riding holiday and came back and suggested to my late husband Mark that we get involved with racehorses but he said no. My husband passed away (2008) and I was in a meeting with a racehorse owning-friend giving me some help with accounts and he said why not come along to the sales in Deauville. I was thinking along the lines of other kinds of shopping, not horseflesh, but I went and bumped into fellow Jersey-based Roger Simmons who is the husband of the friend I went riding with. He introduced me to another owner Chris Humber and bloodstock agent Amanda Skiffington and that was it. We bought two horses and one ran quite well. The other was about to run but its pastern was shattered so all together very disappointing. However, I carried on.

What was your best day at the races and why?

My best day was when Toronado won the Champagne Stakes (Group 2) at Doncaster in 2012. I missed another of his wins but this was a Group 2 and we knew we had a classic contender.

What is the biggest drawback about being a racehorse owner?

Logistics for me. We live on Jersey so every time we want to race we have to fly. We now have a small plane which makes it a lot easier.

In your experience, which racecourse treats owners the best and why?

I am not that familiar with Irish racecourses yet but in England I love Chester. It’s full of tradition and is unique in terms of racing and they lay on a full-blown meal for every owner.

Flat or jump racing, which do you prefer and why?

Only the flat. After the accident concerning my first horse I was so aware of the fragility of these animals and how things can go wrong.

What qualities do you look for in a trainer?

Communication skills – you rely so much on the trainer getting the correct information across. Also a sense of humour. You are spending a day’s racing with them as well as visiting their yard and it is so important that you get along and feel appreciated as the owner.

How do you feel owners are treated when not having a winner?

The tracks vary so much. The main thing is to feel well looked after and be acknowledged. To get a horse to race has cost a lot. Even if you own just a bit or a horse, you want a bit more than a pork pie.

What significance do your colours hold?

I like the colours – purple is my favourite and green goes well with it. We have found out that the colours show up well in the rain.

When buying a horse, what do you look for?

I love going to the sales. Amanda (Skiffington) looks at about 250 and then I have the fun part of narrowing the choice down to about 10-15. I look for a good temperament really and Amanda looks for … actually we can’t really give away our secrets!! I have gone over budget too even though I say I’m not going to.

What horses do you currently have in training?

I have 21 horses in training – three in Ireland including Marshall Jennings, St Brelades Bay and One Liner, one in France, six in Cape Town, one in Scotland, 10 in England and four are syndicate horses.

What’s next on the agenda for your horses?

Wall Of Fire, trained by Hugo Palmer, ran in the Britannia Stakes at Ascot on Thursday (unplaced) but needs further. Dalgarno, who is with Nicolas Clement, could go for the Grand Prix de Paris and we’ll see what that leads to.

Have you any horses to look forward to? (i.e. young/unbroken horses)

I have a few two-year-olds, one that might be out soon by Requinto, Curve Ball, in training with Richard Hughes, Vanilla Ice with Hugo Palmer, Mojito in trainig with William Haggas and the Sea The Stars filly we bought two years ago at Goffs who should debut at Newmarket, so that’s exciting.

We have got into the breeding side of things now as well with nominations to Ivawood and Havana Gold.

We have a mare in foal to Ivawood and two fillies racing who we hope will be future broodmares.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a racehorse owner?

Take lots of advice. We haven’t looked back since the first steps into ownership and it’s such fun. You get to know so many interesting people.

Fiona Carmichael was in conversation with Olivia Hamilton.

The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) have secured agreement with the Association of Irish Racecourses for free admission to 107 race meetings in 2016 for owners who currently have a horse in training. Details of the meetings are on www.irishracehorseowners.com