Popular Newmarket groom Jayne Reid remembered by friends

Group One-winning trainer James Fanshawe has praised the friends of former employee Jayne Reid for joining forces to name the final race at Newmarket on Saturday in memory of her to mark the 10th anniversary of losing her battle with cancer.

The Newmarket handler described the act of kindness, which has been organised by close friend Cheryl Marshall, as a really nice gesture to remember the life of Reid, who died aged 27 at St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds on September 13, 2012.

A field of five runners will go to post for the Jayne Reid Memorial Fillies’ Handicap Stakes headed by the Roger and Harry Charlton-trained Ashky, who will be bidding to complete a course and distance hat-trick in the mile prize.

It will be the second race Reid, who also has a tree planted in her memory at the top of Warren Hill, has had run in her name with friends organising the Jayne Reid Smiles On Memorial Handicap on the Rowley Mile, two months after she passed away.

Fanshawe said: “Jayne was great with her horses and was a really valued member of staff. It was sad that she died so young.

“She worked late into her cancer and she really did fight it hard. She was a very upbeat person and had a sparky personality.

“It is really nice that her friends have organised running this race in her memory and reminding us of her.

“I think it shows just what sort of personality she had with a race being run in her memory.”

Recalling the period that Reid spent working at Pegasus Stables, the dual Champion Hurdle-winning handler hailed her work with the now-retired Hallelujah, who claimed Listed honours just under a year after she passed away in the Garrowby Stakes at York.

He added: “Although the cancer ultimately got the better of her I think she dealt with it better being able to look after her horses.

“She looked after a filly called Hallelujah who was difficult to train but she ended up winning a Listed race.

“Hallelujah was a hard horse and not easy to train but Jayne kept her sound and was a major part of why she was successful.”

Despite the naming of the race only being finalised over the past month, Cheryl Marshall, who met Reid while working for trainer Nick Littmoden, admits plans had been in the pipeline to organise a memorial of sorts for much of the year.

She said: “As this year marked 10 years since Jayne passed away I said let’s do something in her memory.

“We thought about it earlier in the year and we kept saying we need to speak to someone about doing it. I only started organising this about a month ago.

“Margo Walsh, who works at the racecourse, was also a friend and she put me in touch with the relevant people at Newmarket and that started the ball rolling.

“At first I thought what have I let myself in for but it is all coming together nicely which is what we all want for Jayne.”

Describing Reid as the 'life and soul of the party' Marshall has been pleased with the contributions received from those that knew her, which include a donation from jockey, Jack Mitchell.

She said: “Jayne always had a smile on her face. To lose her at 27 years old was just awful.

“She was just brilliant and was up for doing everything. She loved her horses and she loved riding.

“All of her friends have put in a little bit of money to raise the funds for the sponsorship of the race including Jack Mitchell who put a lot of money in as he was a close friend as well.

“He joked he would sack his agent if he couldn’t get a ride but unfortunately he has commitments to ride at Newbury.

“She had great friends and this just goes to show her character and how well liked she was.”

Not only have the group sponsored a race in memory of Reid, who also had spells working in Australia and for former Newmarket trainer Ed Vaughan, but they have also set up a Just Giving page to collect funds for St Nicholas Hospice.

Marshall added: “The money we had left over, which was just under £500, we set up a Just Giving page for St Nicholas Hospice and put it in that as they were amazing.

“It would be nice if we could raise say a thousand pounds for them but whatever we can collect for them is great.

“When we first mentioned doing something like this everyone was an immediate yes. Even the people who can’t be there have put money in.

“With the Just Giving page it allows those who couldn’t put into the sponsorship to donate to the hospice as this is all about remembering Jayne.”