For well-known WA racing identity Brittany Taylor, her first horse Thateldo is one she’ll never forget.
Trained by her father Jim Taylor, the gelding won seven races and kickstarted Brittany’s ownership journey in remarkable fashion.
“I owe my passion for ownership to Thateldo, he got me hooked,” Brittany said.
“He was my 18th birthday present, and I still have him in retirement now.”
With deep family ties in racing, Brittany has provided the perfect insight to the Own The Dream competition since the program’s inception in 2018.
Brittany has been in part-ownership of more than 20 horses, but it’s her involvement in the all-female syndicated gelding – Surveillance – that stands out as her favourite.
“Surveillance won the Magic Millions women’s bonus in its inaugural year – running second to Gemma’s son, although it honestly felt like we won,” she said.
“With 27 crazy ladies screaming at Pinjarra after the race I almost forgot to go back and host the mounting yard of the next race.
“Surveillance was an enormous amount of fun because the group of women just adored watching him race no matter how many times he ran second.”
Now after a long affiliation with ownership and the OTD program Brittany always has a soft spot for the long list of OTD alumni who are still involved today.
“Getting to see past entrants enjoy success on the track is a true joy,” she explained.
“Every weekend I find myself cheering home the runners of past teams.”
The 2012 Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes will always be a standout for the Taylor family, when it was won by the undefeated Barakey in his 11th start, trained by Jim Taylor.
“As he crossed the line we launched into a big family hug, which is unusual for us,” Brittany said.
“The word proud doesn’t even do justice to how we felt about the horse, it was a really special day.”
Racing has always been a family affair for Brittany and the Taylor’s, something she said can be one of the best aspects about ownership.
“Getting family or a great group of friends involved enhances the ownership experience and it can be a really fun way of keeping people connected,” she said.
Whether it’s your first horse or your 20th, the thrill of ownership is indescribable, and Brittany’s advice to anyone considering getting involved is simple – do it!
“Also Spreading your investment across multiple horses helps keep your interest all year-round and increases the chances of getting a fast one,” she said.
Brittany’s eighth consecutive year with OTD wrapped up with the grand finale at Pinjarra Park at the Magic Millions race meeting on Saturday, with participants now looking forward to this week's 2025 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sales as they take their first step into the world of ownership.
Josh Miller