So it was possibly apt that Lisa had a winner at last Wednesday’s Gawler race meeting called The Catcher because it is hard to catch Lisa for a chat.

A $2.50 favourite, The Catcher had two lengths to spare in winning the Peter Murray Handicap (1716m).

It was a just reward for the 43-year-old horsewoman whose days start at 6am.

Lisa trains four thoroughbreds which she tends to before helping out husband Toby, a veterinary surgeon and harness racing trainer who has about 20 horses in work.

And that is apart from running the Ryan household which also includes two boys Wyatt, 9, and Link, 8.

“The boys are really busy with their own sport as well,” Lisa said. “They are right into cricket and baseball so there is training and games.”

And in her ‘spare’ time, Lisa enjoys driving at the harness racing.

“I really love driving but at 43 might have left it a bit late to do it full time,” she said.

Each year she sets herself to have a ride in a race called The Monte at Globe Derby Park in July where drivers ride harness horses under saddle.

In 2010 Lisa was victorious on Saw Foot and this year finished third on the same horse.

But it is four-year-old thoroughbred The Catcher which is likely to keep Lisa’s name in the winning list over the next few months.

“He has always shown a bit of promise but really is still a big baby,” Lisa said.

“I intend to keep him at the provincials for the present - there is a 2100 metre race at Gawler in a fortnight.

“It is such a big class jump going to town but if he keeps stepping up at the provincials then I’ll have a look for a suitable race.”

The Catcher is owned by Mallala policeman Paul Bruggemann, Andrew Jeffrey, former Director of Nursing at Gawler’s Trevu Nursing Home, and his wife Sandra, Gawler policeman Allan ‘Benny’ Ball, Peter Dunstan, a school principal and Barossa, Light and Gawler football umpire, Mallala farmer Andrew Griffiths, Two Wells mechanic Doug Richardson along with Glen Hamlyn (stock agent) and Jim Munro (farmer), both from the South-East.