GROOMS are very a very important cog in the wheels of the racing industry. The time they spend with their horses exceeds that spent by any of the other professionals involved with horse racing. They work long hours, seven days a week, and when they reap success, they have the right to be happy.

Preparing a horse for big races is no easy task, and while the main management responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of the trainer, there is no question about the critical role of the groom in the success of any racehorse.

Lewisito DaCosta, the groom of the brilliant filly She’s A Maneater, has put in the long hours and hard work, and was able by dint of his dedication and his expertise to reap the ultimate in horse racing and that is the reason why he is so happy at the moment.

Earlier in the season, DaCosta watched his charge gallop into history when she won the Triple Crown (1,000 Guineas, Jamaica Derby and St Leger), becoming the 11th horse and third filly to do so at Caymanas Park.

If that wasn’t enough, She’s A Maneater then won the Superstakes, becoming the third horse and the first filly to win both the Triple Crown and Superstakes in the same year.

Last Saturday, She’s A Maneater reaped the ultimate – the greatest in local racing – when in a devastating performance, she crippled rivals to win the third running of the US$115,000 (JA$14.26 million) Diamond Mile, sponsored by the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission in tandem with Supreme Ventures Limited.

The Natural Selection — Ahwhofah offspring won by six-and-a-half lengths in a time of 1:36.4, becoming the first horse in history to win the Triple Crown, the Superstakes and the Diamond Mile in the same year.

“Wait…give me some time to let this soak in, as I am still lost for words. There are so many words… I can’t say how I feel right now, I just can’t find the right words to tell you. I am lost, but I know that I am happy. It is great…it is wonderful and amazing. It is everything in one.

“I knew that this was going to happen. I was expecting this win but I didn’t know that I was going to be speechless afterwards. This is a super filly; She’s A Maneater is a brilliant filly. All I had to do was to take good care of her. I love this horse, and this horse loves me as well. We are one,” an emotional DaCosta shared with this writer.

DaCosta said that after her electrifying run in the Superstakes with apprentice Anthony Thomas, he was always confident about his horse going into the Diamond Mile, especially with the bustling Dane Nelson in the saddle.

“Going into the Superstakes, although she was facing Grade One company for the first time, I was confident in her based on her performances throughout the season, and she did well. With that win going into the Diamond Mile, I was even more confident in her, and Dane Nelson rode a very good race.

“Right now, for the next two years, I don’t see any horse at Caymanas Park that is going to beat her. She will have to get ill to stop; that is how high I rate her….she is a super filly,” DaCosta said.

Commenting on his charge on Sunday, a day after her Diamond Mile victory, DaCosta said that all is well with the Winston Kong-bred and owned She’s A Maneater, as she came out of the race in good health.

“She is good… She’s A Maneater is as good as gold. She is eating fine and she is happy. I know her very well and so I know how to groom her. Sometimes she can be a bit fussy and all I have to do is just to let her go because that is what she wants.

“She is playful. I am proud to say that She’s A Maneater is the best horse that I have groomed in my career. As long as she keeps on her four legs, they won’t beat her,” said DaCosta.