'The big, lofty ambition is to win the Gold Cup' - prominent owner Jamie Shepperd dreaming of homebred success

Jamie Shepperd's first racing encounter came when Desert Orchid cemented his place in history with Gold Cup glory. Nearly 35 years later, the owner is preparing to make his own mark in the game with a newly created breeding operation.

Having been entranced by the great grey, Shepperd and wife Anne-Marie have not been too hasty in taking the next step, with a very significant move made on Auctav's online platform last week after they bought the well-bred broodmare Etoile Du Ficheaux . 

The eight-year-old daughter of Cokoriko, who came recommended courtesy of Auctav's representative Jacob Pritchard Webb, was Graded-placed over hurdles during her racing career, although it was her pedigree - being out of N'Avoue Jamais, the winner of the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breil and a half-sister to top-class sires No Risk At All and the late Nickname - that also undoubtedly caught the eye of her new connections. 

I Like To Move It: flagship performer for Anne-Marie and Jamie ShepperdCredit: Edward Whitaker

Shepperd, who is the CEO of investment fund management company Courtiers, explains: "Anne-Marie and myself are racing fans and punters. We started going racing and our first meeting was the Cheltenham Festival where Desert Orchid won the [1989] Gold Cup, and we've been going now for a number of years. 

"We always go to Cheltenham on the steam train, and when we were coming up the hill in it we said, 'Isn't this fantastic, what could be better?' Well, that would be to have a racehorse and, even better than that, to have one who could run at Cheltenham."

A chance encounter with the Twiston-Davies team saw them jump headfirst into racehorse ownership. Shortly after I Like To Move it won an Aintree bumper in November 2020 by nine and a half lengths carrying Nigel Twiston-Davies's silks, the son of Trans Island was switched to the pair's maroon colours. That came about after a speculative text to the trainer revealed the gelding was for sale.

It turned out that was just the first chapter of an exciting venture into the world of racehorse ownership and breeding.

Nigel Twiston-Davies: instrumental in getting the Shepperds into racehorse ownershipCredit: Edward Whitaker

Shepperd, whose children are also keen on racing, says: "Luckily enough, about three years ago, after meeting Nigel, Willy and Sam Twiston-Davies, we bought our first racehorse and subsequently we have five others. Five are in training with Nigel, including I Like To Move It, and they have all been doing reasonably well."

That would be an understatement as I Like To Move It has served his connections very well indeed, winning the Grade 2 Sharp Novices' Hurdle and finishing a neck second in the Betfair Hurdle as a novice, while this season his scores have included a ready success in the Greatwood Hurdle and a Constitution Hill-like win in the Kingwell Hurdle. The gelding was not disgraced when sixth in the Champion Hurdle to Constitution Hill last month. 

Shepperd says: "We've met a few people who'd bred racehorses, including James Potter. You think people who own racehorses are super enthusiastic, but then when you meet people who breed racehorses, they're even more enthusiastic! 

"Nigel always says once you breed a horse, you never want to sell it."

Etoile Du Ficheaux, who has already produced two foals in her native France, will eventually be joined by another of the Shepperd string in Jasmiwa. The five-year-old by Authorized, a six-figure purchase from Moanmore Stables at the 2021 Goffs Land Rover Sale, won her second hurdles contest at Chepstow late last month. 

"The idea is to retire her at around eight years old and then breed from her," explains Shepperd. "We then thought it would be great if we could buy somewhere and start to breed our next generation."

The dream is already coming to fruition with a farm purchased in Oxfordshire, although it will be a little while before Etoile Du Ficheaux and her soon-to-be-born foal take up residence there.

Shepperd says: "We bought a farm about two miles from Witney, and we're in the middle of renovating it. It used to be a stud and more recently a livery yard, we bought it in September and we're renovating it to redo the horse barn and revamp all the stables. 

"We'll have about 12 boxes and should be ready to bring in horses in about November." 

Etoile Du Ficheaux is in foal to the brilliant Saint Des SaintsCredit: Scott Burton/Racing Post

Shepperd, speaking on Monday, says: "Etoile Du Ficheaux's on the move tomorrow to Chantilly and will then be brought over on Thursday. She'll arrive at Willy's [Twiston-Davies] yard on Friday. 

"She was covered late by Saint Des Saints and is due to foal in June; we'll then bring the pair over in November."

The Shepperds are realising the first part of their ambitions although there is plenty more to achieve,  all the way up to perhaps even producing their very own contender for the most prestigious contest in National Hunt racing. 

"The big, lofty ambition is to win the Gold Cup one day, but it will be good as opposed to buying racehorses that we can breed them," says Shepperd.

"As our current horses start to retire - they're still five or six, so have plenty of years ahead of them  - hopefully at that stage we'll have these ones ready to come through. 

"That's the idea. If we end up with too many, we may have to sell one or two." 

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