Bright future predicted for hee’s forte

11 August 2015

The best is yet to come from the lightly-raced four-year-old Hee’s Forte. Despite still learning his trade, the WS graduate won for the second time in five starts with a brave performance over 1600 metres at Kranji last night.

“He’s a gutsy little horse, but he’s green as grass,” said Shane Ellis, assistant to trainer Laurie Laxon. “The penny hasn’t quite dropped for this guy. He’s doing many things wrong, but once he gets it together, he will be right.

“He was looking for the mile as he’s by O’Reilly. The further he gets, the better it will be for him. But like I said, he still needs to get it right in the head first because he is not without ability.”

Purchased by Laxon for $25,000 out of WS’s Select Sale draft to Karaka in 2013, Hee’s Forte is a son of the unraced Pins mare Dita von Teese. Her mother is the stakes winner Lookatmelads and the family of the former champion juvenile colt Fully Fledged (Gr.1 Diamond Stakes).

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It would appear I now have to continue my weekly Corner with the amount of rumblings at the start of our new racing season. I have been around long enough to know we can never please all; my tenure as Chairman of the Racing Board was subjected to as much vitriol as subsequent Boards have had to bear, so what’s different this time, or is it different.

5 August 2026

First foal for Waikato’s Group 1 winner Skew Wiff

Group 1-winning Savabeel mare Skew Wiff (ex Starvoia), known affectionately as ‘Wiffy’, foaled a filly by Super Seth in the early hours of Wednesday, 5 August.