Karen Bowen admitted to being ‘humbled and amazed’ after she accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of her and husband Peter at the Sport Pembrokeshire Awards on Friday night.

With Peter away on race duty, she received the honour of Geoff Williams, Head of BBC Wales Sport, and told Telegraph Sport afterwards she had no idea that was why she had been invited.

“It was a surprise and I had no speech prepared.

“So I was amazed to be called up on stage and it’s very humbling for us to win this.”

And she added the family were in no mood to slow down.

“We certainly have no plans to retire yet - we’d be bored,” she joked.

“Our son Mickey has done all his training courses and one day will eventually take over. And Sean and James have had incredible success so far as jockeys, which has made us keener than ever.

“We do it for our boys but also because we love it.

“It can be hard of course when you get home from a meeting late at night and then have to be up early at the stables the next morning but that is the life we choose. We simply couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“I see it as a passion more than I do a job and Peter is exactly the same!”

And the family may well be able to add to their growing list of awards tonight, with James, 16, nominated for the Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year.

That award ceremony takes place at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.