Richard Johnson riding Lalor clear the last to win The Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial Novices' Chase (Image: Alan Crowhurst/Getty)
Straddling the open moorland near South Molton, on Exmoor, at her stables where tractors outnumber cars, Woollacott spoke candidly about the harsh realities of life without her husband, a talented trainer with 130 winners and a champion point-to-point rider.
“My priority has always been Bella and I didn’t want our life to crash in around us,” Woollacott explained. “Horses have always been an escape for me, and they have kept my head straight when I’ve had problems in the past.
“Having a horse like Lalor kept everybody going and has given everybody a purpose – it’s just a light, something to look forward to.
“He’s moved everything forward and, I suppose, stopped the whole operation from just folding.
“It could have been massively different without him around, everybody appreciates that – me, my family and the guys in the yard on days when I’ve not been much use to them. I will be grateful whatever he does in the Arkle.”
For a horse nobody wanted because of breathing problems in his younger days, Lalor proved he had overcome that problem when the impressive winner of the Arkle Trial Chase at Cheltenham in November. He now heads the betting for today’s two-mile showpiece.
Whether to continue training was the big question Woollacott asked herself, following her husband’s death.
“When Lalor ran in the Betfair [at Newbury last year], it was a really tough day, you just had to get through it,” said Woollacott. “It was the day before the funeral. It was just really, really tough and he did not run very well, and he was quite well fancied.
Lalor with Kayley Woollacott whose husband killed himself aged 40 (Image: Harry Trump/Getty)
“But he was not really ready and just got lost in the race. It gave me a kick up the backside to get a grip and realise I was lucky to
