A BARMAID turned racehorse breeder who was the subject of an award-winning documentary is now preparing to tell her own story in a new book.

Janet Vokes was working behind the bar in Cefn Fforest when she overheard a conversation about owning a racehorse.

“That conversation changed my life,” she said.

Mrs Vokes, 65, had been breeding pedigree whippets for show for ten years before taking up pigeon racing. She won her first race, the South Road National Young Brid Race from Ventnor, but due to a change in jobs she was unable to continue.

Working out of stables located on an allotment in Cefn Fforest, Mrs Vokes’ first thoroughbred foal was named Dream Alliance.

The horse went on to win the Welsh National in 2009, attracting a lot of media coverage at the time.

The story of the Welsh barmaid who took on the ‘sport of kings’ was also picked up by director Louise Osmond who created the documentary Dark Horse. The film went on to win the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015.

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“It was a very exciting time when the documentary won the award, I was invited to the women of the year lunch in London,” said Mrs Vokes.

“Sony pictures took me and my husband to Kentucky and New York for the premiere in America.”

As exciting as the experience was, Mrs Vokes added that always thought of telling her own story. Her new book, Dream Horse, will be released on April 4.

“I had given thought to writing a book after the documentary but didn't have the time,” she said.

“I was contacted by a literary agency who employed a ghost writer.

“It has taken around a year to put the book together.

“It tells the story from my childhood, how I met my husband and then there was Dream.

“The documentary was fantastic, but I felt I had more of a say over the book.”

If a documentary and the impending release of a book wasn’t enough, a feature film is also now in the works.

Also named Dream Horse, the film stars Homeland’s Damian Lewis and Toni Colette (Sixth Sense and Little Miss Sunshine) and is being directed by Bafta-winner Euros Lyn.

Film4, Ingenious Media and Ffilm Cymru Wales are funding the film, which is also being supported by the Welsh Government.

“Dream turned our lives upside down and took us places we’d never even dreamed of,” said Mrs Vokes.