Kirsty Hoping To Play Part In Fehily's 100th Winner

Features | 30th January 2025

When National Hunt fan Kirsty Payne and her husband Andy got involved in a new syndicate just over five years ago she couldn’t have imagined she would soon be celebrating their 100th winner.

Kirsty joined Noel Fehily Racing in the winter of 2019 when their first runner Pride Of Lecale got them off to a dream start by galloping to victory at Market Rasen.

Since then the charity worker has tasted the thrill of owning a winner with numerous horses and trainers under the Noel Fehily banner and plans to be a part of their landmark celebrations when the century is achieved.

“It would be great to think that one of the horses we own a share in could get us to the 100, but I plan to be there celebrating with everyone whether I’m involved in that special winner or not.

“The wonderful thing about Noel Fehily Racing is that it’s so inclusive. It’s like one big happy family and being involved from the very start makes the journey extra-special,” adds Kirsty, who lives in the Cotswolds.

She discovered Fehily’s plans to launch his own syndicates alongside close friend and former weighing room colleague David Crosse after enjoying part-ownership with Dan Skelton.

“We had a horse called Mister Grez with 10 friends who became Dan’s first ever winner, but we really missed racing once he retired,” recalls Kirsty, who worked in the video games industry before running the SpecialEffect charity which gives severely disabled children access to technology.

“That was when I persuaded Andy to buy into Pride Of Lecale, who was trained by Fergal O’Brien, and we couldn’t have got off to a better start. Imagine the scenes when he won at Market Rasen.

“We’ve been all over the country with Noel and Dave, enjoying winners big and small,” she adds. “It doesn’t matter to us if it’s a wet weekend in Warwick or an eight-hour round trip to Doncaster. We go to watch our horses as often as we can and love every second of it.

“We didn’t know anyone else when we first got involved but have made so many friends through Noel Fehily Racing. As shareholders we all celebrate in everyone’s success and we’ve had some big ones. We never miss a Cheltenham!”

Kirsty says her most memorable day was cheering on the syndicate’s subsequent Festival winner Love Envoi to a Listed success at Sandown on the same day that Tahmuras delivered a Grade 1 breakthrough in the Tolworth Hurdle. “We didn’t have ownership in those horses but it was a massive day for Noel and Dave and a thrill to be part of it.”

As the 2024/25 season approaches its climax, Kirsty and her fellow shareholders and pinning their hopes on two exciting young horses. Kamsinas, in training with Fergal O’Brien, won a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Haydock last season and scored another notable success at Aintree back in October.

Hansard, who is in the care of Gary and Josh Moore, has run well in Graded company and won a valuable prize at Newbury in December 2023. “There’s another big one in him. He runs at Newbury on 8th February so I’m hoping that might be the syndicate’s magical 100th winner,” she adds.