Trainer celebrates Cheltenham Festival runner by booking trip to Las Vegas
Sheila Lewis has her name up in lights – and soon she will be living it up on the Las Vegas strip.
The fun-loving racehorse trainer and former beautician is funding a girls holiday to America's party hotspot. And it's all down to a charming, grey gentleman, who has knocked a couple of zeros off Lewis' bank balance.
"I promised my staff we would go to Vegas if we had a Cheltenham winner," the Brecon trainer said. "Then it unbelievably happened with Straw Fan Jack (in October). So I've followed it through and we're all booked up for May."
The group of six, boarding for the ten-hour flight, include the stable's amateur jockey Katie Powell and Lewis' 77-year-old mother Megan.
But before the luggage goes in the hold, they will be among the arrivals at Cheltenham once more. Lewis has taken a gamble and pitched Straw Fan Jack against the hot favourites in the Arkle Novices' Chase.
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The plucky October course and distance scorer tries to send Jonbon and El Fabiolo packing at Prestbury Park – and bag some Vegas cash.
Straw Fan Jack (right) won the squareintheair.com Novices' Chase at Cheltenham's meeting in October 2022 (PA)"They are not going to be hanging about and we know Straw Fan Jack is a good jumper," Lewis said. "He will run on well up the hill."
The trainers of the joint favourites, Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins, weigh in heavy for equine talent.
Lewis, who juggled running a beauty salon with her current job before quitting to train full time, has just 15 horses. Possibly the most important pedicure she performed led to her meeting Straw Fan Jack's owner Graham Wilson.
The pair, put in touch by the pampered customer, took a chance on the 2019 Irish point-to-point runner-up. "Trainers like Gordon Elliott and Ben Pauling were looking at Straw Fan Jack but he failed the vet," Lewis revealed.
"He had a little gait problem at the sales and wasn't quite sound. He ran recently in the point – it's like a young person having a niggle after running a marathon."
Four wins later, plus a photo finish second at Cheltenham and the £50,000 purchase has more than paid for his Festival ticket. Weeks ahead of the American adventure, Lewis is already on cloud nine.
"Having a runner at the Festival is big for me, as I'm a small time trainer," she said. "Straw Fan Jack trains up a hill, so I think Cheltenham reminds him of home!
"It will be a fantastic day and Graham has been so patient as an owner, he deserves a good horse. We're really excited."
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