Meet the 80-year-old woman battling billionaires with her “superstar” Derby horse, yet still tinged with sadness over the outcome of her 26 years of preparation for the world’s most prestigious race…

In the high-stakes world of flat racing, where billionaires and multinational breeding empires dominate the leaderboards, Lavinia “Vimy” Aykroyd stands as a refreshing anomaly. At 80 years old, this grandmother from Yorkshire has captured the imagination of the racing public as she prepares to take on the sport’s wealthiest players with her homebred superstar, Pride of Arras, in the Epsom Derby. Yet behind the excitement of her underdog story lies a deeper, more personal narrative—one marked by decades of dedication, family legacy, and a quiet sadness that even the thrill of racing’s greatest prize cannot fully erase.

Aykroyd’s journey with Pride of Arras represents the culmination of 26 years of careful planning and breeding. The colt, trained by Ralph Beckett, burst onto the scene with an impressive victory in the Dante Stakes at York, rocketing him up the Derby betting from a 50-1 outsider to one of the leading contenders. For Aykroyd, who operates on a modest scale with just a handful of mares and a small string of horses, this moment feels both triumphant and bittersweet.

“I’ve been working towards something like this for a very long time,” she reflected in a recent conversation at her Yorkshire home, surrounded by photographs of generations of horses and family members who shaped her life in racing. Her operation is a far cry from the multi-million-pound studs owned by the sport’s billionaires—figures like those from the Coolmore or Godolphin empires, who can afford to buy the best bloodlines and employ armies of staff. Aykroyd breeds selectively, relying on knowledge passed down through her family rather than chequebook dominance.

Pride of Arras embodies that approach: a horse whose pedigree and potential were nurtured through patience and passion rather than vast resources.

Her racing roots run deep. Aykroyd’s paternal grandfather, Harry Beasley, was a legendary figure, training and riding the 1891 Grand National winner Come Away. The Beasley brothers collectively dominated the National in the late 19th century. Her cousin Bobby Beasley continued the family tradition by winning the 1961 National aboard Nicolaus Silver. This heritage instilled in Vimy a profound love for the sport, but her path was never straightforward.

As a child, she was fostered out at the age of three to the Grimthorpe family in Yorkshire, living with them until she was eight. It was an arrangement born of circumstance rather than choice—her parents were often preoccupied, and the Grimthorpes provided stability alongside their own children, including a young William Beckett. That connection would later prove pivotal: when William’s son Ralph Beckett began training in 1999, Vimy was among his earliest supporters, sending him horses and building a partnership that has now flowered with Pride of Arras.

Life as a young woman brought its own adventures and rebellions. Educated at various convent schools—some of which she left under less-than-ideal circumstances—she briefly attended finishing school in Paris before returning to Yorkshire. She worked for a time in the music world and even married, though that union ended after a few years. Returning to horses, she made history in her own right by winning amateur races in the early 1970s when women were first permitted to compete on the Flat. Those victories were small but symbolic, helping pave the way for future generations of female riders.

Her commitment to breeding intensified around 26 years ago. With a small band of mares, Aykroyd began a deliberate program aimed at producing a horse capable of competing at the highest level. Every mating decision, every foal, and every training choice was part of a long-term vision. Pride of Arras, sired with care and raised under her watchful eye, is the realization of that vision. “He has the heart and the talent,” she says with evident pride. “He’s a superstar in the making.”

Yet for all the anticipation surrounding Derby day at Epsom, where the rolling downs and demanding uphill finish have tested champions for nearly 250 years, Aykroyd carries a quiet melancholy. The 26 years of preparation have been marked by personal losses and the passage of time. Friends and family members who shared her early dreams are no longer here to witness this pinnacle moment. The sport she loves has changed dramatically, becoming increasingly commercialized and dominated by powerful international interests. The small breeder-owner, once a cornerstone of British racing, now fights an uphill battle against conglomerates with seemingly unlimited funds.

This David-versus-Goliath dynamic adds romance to her story but also underscores the challenges. While billionaires can absorb defeats and move on to the next multi-million-pound yearling purchase, Aykroyd’s success or failure feels more personal, more tied to legacy and limited opportunities. A Derby victory would not only crown Pride of Arras but validate a lifetime of perseverance against the odds.

As race day approaches, the racing world buzzes with talk of Pride of Arras’s chances. Jockey Rossa Ryan has spoken highly of the colt’s attributes—his balance, his stamina, and his will to win. Trainer Ralph Beckett, himself a rising star with big-race success, describes the horse as having “all the tools” for Epsom’s unique demands. For Aykroyd, the preparation has been meticulous, but she remains grounded. “We’ve done everything we can,” she notes. “Now it’s in the lap of the gods—and the horse.”

Win or lose, her story resonates because it taps into the heart of why people love racing: the dream that talent, heart, and history can still triumph over money and scale. At 80, Vimy Aykroyd may not seek the spotlight, but she has earned it. She represents a link to racing’s more romantic past while proving that determination endures.

The Epsom Derby remains the ultimate test, a race steeped in tradition where legends are born and dreams are fulfilled or deferred. For one 80-year-old woman who has poured a quarter-century of effort into this moment, the outcome carries layers of meaning. Pride of Arras gallops not just for glory, but as the embodiment of a remarkable life dedicated to the turf. Whatever the result, Vimy Aykroyd’s journey reminds us that in racing, as in life, the preparation and the passion often matter as much as the prize itself.