'I came down here for the horses and never went back home - and I've never regretted it'

July 30, 1966 is a date that will never be forgotten in England. There have been few more famous moments in the nation's history than when Bobby Moore lifted the World Cup aloft at a packed Wembley Stadium.

It is also a day that lives long in Jane Smith's memory, although as much as she revelled in England's 4-2 defeat of West Germany, she best remembers it as the date she moved to Newmarket to start a career that continues to this day within the racing industry. 

Raised near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, Smith was just 18 at the time. Having answered an advert in the Horse & Hound, she was handed a month's trial at the Newmarket yard of trainer John Oxley. The fact she still resides in Newmarket the best part of 60 years later tells us her probation period went well and, even at the age of 77, she remains a member of the workforce in Flat racing's headquarters. 

"My father worked for the council and there was no family connection to animals, never mind horses, but I always loved them," she recalls. "I was the baby of the family and my parents weren't keen on me leaving home, but I was getting fed up. So I wrote to John Oxley, who told me to come for a trial, and I never went back."

After three years at Oxley's Hurworth House, Smith joined Bernard van Cutsem at Stanley House during the glory days of Park Top. At the time Mick Ryan was assistant to Van Cutsem, whose death in 1975 prompted Ryan to take out his own licence, and Smith has been employed by the Ryan family ever since. 

She led up Mick's son John's first winner as a trainer and still pitches in at his Cadland Stables at the foot of Warren Hill.

Jane Smith: "Mick and Anne Ryan have been a big part of my life"Credit: Dan Abraham

"I've known John since the day he was born," says Smith. "I used to babysit for his parents so I've known the family a long time."

The Ryans have been a second family to Smith, whose memories of Mick are all positive.

"He was a superstar," she says with a warm smile on her face. "He was a horseman and everything was done 100 per cent. Whether he was travelling head lad, assistant trainer or trainer, he was tops. He'd have a laugh but you wouldn't take the mickey out of him. His job came first and he was a legend."

Smith served a number of roles for Mick, including a stint as head lad, but among her fondest memories are her times abroad when her boss sent horses to race in Europe.

"I went to France, Italy, Ireland, Holland and Belgium," she says. "I've no idea how he met him but Mick had a Dutch owner. He had a lot of horses in the yard at one point. We'd go over on a Wednesday night and catch the midnight ferry to Hook of Holland. You'd stay for a couple of days and go racing and then come home on the midnight boat.

"We'd probably get back here at 9am and then be off to Windsor for night racing straight after, but it was fun and we all enjoyed it. Mick had a lot of luck in Holland and won all the Classics over there. It was different class and we had a good laugh."

Ryan enjoyed his greatest success with Katies, a towering filly who won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 1984 before defeating Pebbles in a memorable Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. 

"She stood in that box in the corner," says Smith, pointing out of the window at Cadland. "We used to call her box and the four next to it 'The famous five', and any horse in one of those boxes was a good one. She was a big girl and as good as we had. It lifts the yard when you've got horses like that who are winning."

Pride of place in her heart, however, goes to another filly trained at Cadland. Smith is so fond of Aldora, winner of the Dahlia, Conqueror and Princess Elizabeth Stakes in 2003, that she has her name embossed on the belt she's wearing today. 

Jane Smith: "Winning the award was an honour but a bit of a shock"Credit: Dan Abraham

"I used to look after her and I loved her," she says. "But I liked them all because I just love horses. I came down here for the horses and never went back home. I've never regretted it because it's been good for my life. I've got a lot out of it and racing has been good to me." 

So dedicated to her job, Smith spent years living in a caravan on the premises of Cadland to ensure there was someone on site 24/7, but it was no hardship in her eyes. 

"Because I knew Mick, his wife Anne and the family so well, for over 50 years I've always had my Sunday lunch with them," she says. "And if my family came to see me, they'd go there as well. Mick and Anne have been a big part of my life."

Since 2005 she has worked for Mick's son John, who on a number of occasions has entered Jane for the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, sponsored by Godolphin, and earlier this year her mammoth stint in racing was finally recognised as she scooped the Dedication Award. 

"Mick called me in here one day to tell me he was packing up," she recalls. "He said, 'I'd like you to stay and keep an eye on John,' and that's what I've done. What else would I do? I don't have hobbies. Racing is my life and that's it."

Only after winning her award did Jane decide to cut down her hours but she's still one of the first in the yard in the morning and, when others have been deployed to go racing, she comes running to the rescue to cover evening stables. 

"Winning the award was an honour but a bit of a shock," she says, almost oblivious to the fact that there could not have been a more deserving winner.

"I've got my little trophy and that's part of my life now. I'm proud of it. It was a nice feeling when they called my name. John was there and his secretary Chantal Stephens, and a couple of friends of mine, and they just went crazy. They said it was the biggest cheer they had for anyone winning and it was lovely.

"I don't relish the spotlight. I'm a quiet person who just gets on with the job, but the awards are a great thing. It's good for the yard and shows appreciation for the staff."

Award winner Jane Smith with William Buick (left) and Rishi PersadCredit: Dan Abraham

As well as caring for her horses, Smith has always been a big supporter of her colleagues. A friendly confidante among the close-knit team at Cadland, she has always tried to make others feel welcome while sharing her knowledge.

"Jane's been a mentor to a lot of the young staff," says Stephens. "She learned to do things the right way and she's passed that on. They'd come and ask her advice, so she's been a big support to a lot of people in the industry without even realising."

Stephens herself had never worked in racing before joining the team at Cadland a decade ago, but she was made to feel welcome from the start. 

"Jane was one of the first people I met when I walked up the yard," she remembers. "She was in the feed room and, having come from another industry, I turned up all dressed up and with my heels on. I clonked up the yard and I remember Jane saying, 'Nice to meet you but you won't be in those heels long'. She was right and these days it's flats and Crocs, but I remember thinking how down-to-earth she was. 

"She's amazing and puts a lot of other people to shame really. She has always been the first in and the last to leave. We're really proud because she's dedicated her whole life to racing and she's still going."

Smith's contribution to the industry is certainly recognised in the wider Newmarket community. Hers is a face that is easily recognised around town, and the amount of congratulatory cards and emails since her win is indicative of her popularity.  

"I go back a long way and from the moment I arrived in Newmarket I never contemplated leaving," she says. "It's something I've wanted to do since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I've never wanted to do anything else. 

"It's a nice way of life and it's my way of life. I'm happy with it and always have been. What more do you want?"

A few more like her wouldn't go amiss but racing is blessed to be able to count Smith as one of its own. 

Nominations are open until November 4 for the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, sponsored by Godolphin. The awards are an opportunity for employees from across the industry in Britain, such as training yards, studs or administrative roles, to be celebrated for their hard work and dedication. Find out more by visiting thoroughbredawards.co.uk.

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