Diane Lane Needed Horse Racing Lessons

The movie tells the story of the famous horse 'Secretariat', and in particular his Triple Crown win in 1973. It also depicts Chenery's struggle to gain success in the sport, which was largely male-dominated at the time. However, Lane revealed that she knew little about horses before shooting the movie, and had to ask Chenery to explain the difference between a length and a furlong, she joked, "This is like Elvis trying to explain rock 'n' roll".

Despite 'Secretariat's subject matter, the 45-year-old actress admits that the film is not a feminist movie, saying, "I don't think it's a feminist agenda. I think it's more of an equality agenda and a personhood that Penny's speaking of: recognition for your deeds, not for what you look like while you're doing them". The movie also stars John Malkovich and hits cinemas in the US today (8th October 2010).