As grey mare My Silver Lining flashed past the post to win Warwick’s feature race, the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase, on Saturday (13 January), her devoted groom Phoebe Hewick was also seen sprinting down the final furlongs alongside the home straight, cheering home her absolute pride and joy.
My Silver Lining’s owner Celia Djavonic described the relationship between her Emma Lavelle-trained mare and Phoebe as “a mutual appreciation, they adore each other” and the pair have been inseparable since both arrived on Emma’s Wiltshire racing yard two years ago.
“Since the day she arrived, she’s the only horse I’ve ridden every single day,” Phoebe tells H&H. “She has a lot of character, a lot of attitude and she’ll stand and kick the door all day long until someone gives her attention. She keeps you on your toes!
“She took a bit of time to get used to because she’s so quirky sometimes, but we clicked. She’s lovely to ride – when I’m off, everyone else loves riding her.”
Phoebe Hewick: “I knew she was going to win – I just went with her”
Phoebe says that it was the emotion of seeing the eight-year-old Cloudings mare hit the front at Warwick that resulted in her running along with her.
“I knew she was going to win – I just went with her over the last two fences,” says Phoebe, who previously worked with Alan King before joining Emma Lavelle and her husband Barry Fenton at Bonita Racing a week or two after My Silver Lining’s arrival.
“She gets very in the zone at the races, she’s more than ready to go as soon as you saddle her. Emma thought she had a big chance on Saturday, but the ground was a bit tacky that day. But she jumped amazingly, like she always does.”
“The biggest day of both our careers”
Saturday’s victory in the Classic Chase came with James Best in the saddle, who is owner Celia Djavonic’s son-in-law.
“It was the biggest day of both of our careers,” says Phoebe. “It took a while to sink in – I watched the race about five times afterwards!”
Phoebe was born into a horsey family and previously enjoyed showjumping but it was her grandfather’s “massive interest” in horse racing that inspired her down the National Hunt route. She is now barn manager for Emma Lavelle, with 20 horses under her care which, as well as My Silver LIning, include legendary hurdler Paisley Park and Grade One campaigner Tightenourbelts.
She rode four horses before driving to Warwick on Saturday for My Silver Lining’s big race.
“I’m very lucky with the ones I look after,” she says.
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