MARY LILEY

The Gold Circle Owner of the Month award for the month has been bestowed on Mary Liley

One of the most successful lady owners in South African racing, Mary was granted her colours way back in 1960 and has owned many top horses that featured prominently in the country’s major races.

Her late husband John Liley, whom she married in 1970, played a major role in her racing ownership which included Bold Monarch that in 1977 ran second in each of South Africa’s three major events, the J&B Met, the Rothmans July and the Holliday Inns. She also owned Sleek Machine that ran second to London News in the July in 1996, as well as top horses like Sun Monarch, Royal Play and Be Noble.

When establishing the Noble Park training centre at Summerveld, she owned about 100 horses but has trimmed her string down to about 20 horses which are trained by Tony Rivalland.

During the month two of her three runners, Kadeze and Lucky Break, won their races and she was voted by Gold Circle as the owner of the month.

For Mary, the beauty of the thoroughbred and the challenge of trying to be successful is her motivation and while she featured prominently in the racing industry for many years, she admits that at the beginning, when her first horse Actus continued to run places and not win, as a somewhat shy individual, “I was happy because if it had won, I would have had to lead it in.”

Well done Mary.