Meet the beautician who's also one of the most in-form trainers in Britain
Sheila Lewis speaks to Jonathan Harding about her remarkable season
"It's nice to see how other people live," says Sheila Lewis, aware her juggling act of several professions sets her apart from the crowd.
The trainer has a small team of eight horses but has punched above her weight this season with nine winners, one more than she achieved in the previous six campaigns combined. There are only two names above her in the trainers' championship who can boast a better strike-rate – Paul Nicholls and Sam Thomas.
Lewis's success is made more remarkable by the fact she also operates a successful beauty salon half a mile down the road from her Brecon yard, situated against the stunning backdrop of the Black Mountains.
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- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
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- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’