With the countdown on to this year's Lady of Racing Award, we catch up with the 2015/26 winner Cheryl McCarthy...
I fell in love with horses from a very young age encouraged by my parents with their own insolvent in racing horses. As a young child my finest memories were of being at the races patting noses through fences of our racehorses.
This early passion has seem me involved now in horse racing for 30+ years spanning from strapping horses at a young age in the school holidays to winning the LOR award in 2016
Most recently in the last decade my involvement with Robbie & Shiranee & Griffiths Racing at Cranbourne.
I purchased my first share in colt by first season stallion Bel Esprit that went on to win the ownership group nearly $450k in prize money having taken us all on a ride that we could not have scripted better if we tired.
Every year I continue to put friends into horses to enjoy the same thrills I have been lucky enough to enjoy myself over the years.
To win the Lady of Racing Award was a very humbling experience for me because I feel that women are as worthy as any man in the industry & by me following my passion to share the love of racing I became the recipient of this wonderful & vey honours award of 2016/17 LOR.
I have always worked with an honest integrity to provide owners of our stable with a racehorse ownership experience that I myself would like to enjoy. I have always wanted others to find the passion that I have myself for our wonderful industry & to be able to enjoy it with old friends & new ones.
In following this formula I have gained a very loyal following of owners who come into the Griffiths Racing Stable with a focus of being involved & enjoying the whole experience from the purchase of their horse through to its sale or retirement.
I have met some wonderful people & racing has taken me all over the world & to be honoured for doing something that is more than just a job to me is very humbling to me. I love meeting people & I love sharing other peoples happiness on a racetrack.
I have meet life long friends & thoroughly enjoy catching up with them on race day to create new memories.
The 2017/18 Winner will be announced at the Awards Luncheon which will be held on International Women's Day - 8th March 2018.