Forget Kylie and Katy Perry - Cheltenham winner is music agent's biggest star

Superstar music agent Emma Banks may mix it daily with some of the biggest names in pop music, but that thrill can't come close to the feeling of owning a Cheltenham-winning horse, which she experienced on Saturday with The White Mouse.

At the close of a year in which the on-course action may best be remembered for the exponential rise of Hollie Doyle, the victory was a notable one for an all-female team.

Trained by Lucy Wadham, ridden by Bryony Frost and owned by Banks, six-year-old mare The White Mouse provided a clean sweep when crossing the line two and a quarter lengths clear of Eglantine Du Seuil in the 2m4½f mares' handicap hurdle.

It was an achievement which Banks, who also owns a string of Flat performers including Group 3 winner Lady Bowthorpe, is overjoyed to have been a part of.

"I'm really proud of that fact. I don't think it happens every day," Banks said. "Bryony gave the horse a phenomenal ride. I've been obsessed with Bryony since I first saw her ride and to have her win on her first ride on one of my horses is so special."

The White Mouse (centre, orange cap): won at Cheltenham on Saturday for an all-female teamCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"There are so many talented women in racing now and we need more of them because they can absolutely compete; so let's help them out. I work in a business where, when I started, there weren't any women doing what I was doing."

That business is no ordinary business. As an agent for Creative Artists Agency, Banks is responsible for arranging live tours for a host of the world's most famous pop and rock stars.

Her current roster of talent includes the likes of Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue, Florence and the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Muse.

It's an industry that has taken a more severe hit than most in the Covid-19 era. But it's also one that has provided Banks the opportunity to share her passion for racing with some of the biggest music artists in the world.

Emma Banks (left) with Florence Welch of Florence and the MachineCredit: Emma Banks

"I took Chad Smith, the drummer for the Chili Peppers, to Kempton last year," Banks recounts. "He was over in the UK doing some stuff for Ozzy Osbourne's album and I had a couple of runners on the Flat at Kempton on the Saturday and asked if he wanted to come.

"I think there were only two people who recognised him and they were totally gobsmacked, but he loved it."

Banks also recalls a wager she had with the lead singer of Muse, Matt Bellamy, one that proved rather expensive for the dual Grammy Award winner.

"We had a bet over how many tickets they were going to sell for the San Siro in Italy and if I won he had to buy me a horse," Banks explained. "Of course, my prediction was right, and now I have a Flat horse called Simulation Theory, which is named after the album they were touring.

"Matt is going to be over next year for a couple of shows in mainland Europe, so hopefully we can go and see Simulation Theory race in the summer."

Stars of the stage could be swapped for stars of the jumps scene come March should connections decide to route towards the festival with The White Mouse after Saturday's success. The same race was won last season by Dame De Compagnie, who went on to clinch the Coral Cup a few months later.

The Mares' Hurdle is also an option, but Banks is keen to stress that Cheltenham is not the be-all and end-all, with Wadham a guiding influence on how best to handle The White Mouse's next steps.

The occasion would be one to relish, though, for Banks, who missed seeing The White Mouse live on Saturday as she attended the funeral of a colleague. Instead, she watched the action on her phone in a nearby car park.

She added: "The sound wouldn't work, which was so frustrating. People were walking past their car looking at a mad woman shouting at her phone probably thinking 'what a loon'.

"When I got home later that night and watched it back I got very emotional, even though I knew she was going to win. I've 'accidentally' had Racing TV on all day because I know they’re going to keep repeating it."

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