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MAGICAL MOMENTS with ROA member Yvonne Jacques
A life of Grandeur: Yvonne Jacques (right) with trainer Jeremy Noseda and her “extremely precious” star
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verything coming together to produce a big-race victory is described as nothing less than a “miracle” by Yvonne Jacques, proud owner of Grandeur among 40 or so racehorses in the past six years. Jacques has always loved horses, having ponies as a child and having hunted and ridden horses for most of her life. That hunting background meant that racehorse ownership initially centred on National Hunt horses with friends. Jacques recalls: “I didn’t particularly follow Flat racing in great detail but then about ten years ago, when I had more time once my pet insurance business was sold, I decided I would like to become involved in Flat racing, learn about it and ultimately acquire some horses.” Jacques was a member of a number of Highclere syndicates, notably that which owned King George winner Harbinger, but remained intent on owning her own horses. “There was nothing more thrilling than when I had my first win in my own silks with Kajima,” says Jacques, an ROA member for six years. “That was at Epsom in April 2010. Although he no longer races I still own him and he is being retrained as a dressage horse. It is amazing to see how well he is adapting to his new life.” Grandeur has taken Jacques to another level, winning nine times, notably two Grade 2s in California, a Listed race at Lingfield, and most recently and most lucratively the Easter Classic, also at Lingfield. He has, in addition, finished THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER
second and third in Grade 1s in the US. “It’s very difficult to pick one highlight as Grandeur has given me so many moments of pleasure and thrills over the last three years,” says Jacques. “I suppose his performances in California as a three-year-old, when in the space of five weeks he won two Grade 2s and was an unlucky second in a Grade 1, would take some beating.
“It is often hard and humbling being an owner but when it all comes together it is wonderful”
“He’s my best horse and owning only one at this level he’s extremely precious to me, as I’m very conscious of how relatively few Groupclass horses exist in any one year. “One appreciates the miracle of finding a talented horse good enough to win a race, keeping that horse fit, then having your optimum ground on raceday, the right draw, good jockey, and luck in running. It can be highly frustrating when it doesn’t all happen
and fantastic when it does. “It is often hard and humbling being an owner as so much is out of your control, but when it all comes together it is wonderful, and these are the moments to be treasured.” Jeremy Noseda – “a highly talented, experienced trainer with a tremendous eye for detail and a great communicator” – and Marco Botti – “will be an important player in the future, his success is already very evident” – are Jacques’s trainers of choice, but there is more to her involvement than racing. “I find the breeding side extremely interesting and I regret I didn’t become involved when I was younger,” Jacques admits. “In partnership with Carolyn and John Warren we own a few broodmares and their foals and yearlings. “Also, I decided this year to cover three of my fillies: Appealing, who raced in the UK and California; Sleek, a half-sister to Dank; and Magique, a half-sister to Grandeur.” Ascot, Goodwood, Sandown and York are name-checked by Jacques in terms of owners’ facilities, while hospitality in Hong Kong and at the Arlington Million in Chicago receive the thumbs-up. Britain’s “abysmal” prize-money gets a firm thumbs down. Good job, then, ambitions stretch just about as high as it’s possible for an owner to go. “I now concentrate on my hobbies,” Jacques says, “a charitable foundation I set up and my endeavour to breed, or have in training, a Classic winner.”
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