Waikato Stud farewells Daffodil

On Tuesday morning, the Waikato Stud team farewelled a matriarch of its broodmare band and a flagbearer of the WS white, green and royal blue racing colours, Daffodil (ex Spring), at age 20.

Retired to stud following the autumn of 2010, Daffodil raced 26 times for earnings of $1.14 million, recording eight wins, including three at Group 1 level: the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate and Gr.1 1000 Guineas in New Zealand, and the Gr.1 AJC Australian Oaks in Australia. She later produced seven live foals – though her story, remarkably, almost never eventuated, if not for the quick thinking of stud principal Mark Chittick.

Mark reflected: “Daffodil will be sorely, sorely missed. She gave us some incredible highs, the highlight being the Australian Oaks on a memorable day for WS as we bred three individual Group 1 winners on the day in Australia, which was quite extraordinary.”

“Most of all, she was just the most beautiful personality. When you walked into her paddock, all she wanted to do was hang out with you and give you a cuddle. She was an incredible part of WS legacy, and the Chittick family and she will never, ever be forgotten.”

Rewind to the racing days of her Waikato Stud-bred and -raced dam Spring, specifically to the Gr.1 Bayer Classic, where she lined up as favourite, before breaking down. Spring was about to be euthanised when Mark stepped in, and it was decided that her leg would be placed in a support brace and get her to the vet clinic immediately to have her fetlock joint screwed, which broke, and she had to undergo another operation.

Spring spent many months on box rest recuperating from her racing injury and almost 12 months later, Spring was fit and healthy and able to be covered. Daffodil was the third foal of Spring, by No Excuse Needed and was retained to race by Garry and Mark Chittick.

Trained by Kevin Gray, who had enjoyed Group 1 success with the Waikato Stud-bred and -owned, Legs (Pins ex River Century), Daffodil won in the autumn of her two-year-old season at Trentham at her third start. In the spring of her three-year-old season, she won the Gr.1 1000 Guineas at Riccarton impressively.

She was kept in work and aimed at the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks, where she would start as a well-backed favourite. After being slow away, she hit the line strongly for fourth, and as she pulled up so well, it was decided to carry on for the AJC Australian Oaks at Randwick, where a young Hugh Bowman rode her impressively to a two-length victory.

Given a spell, she returned to the track and was given a couple of lead-up runs before the Windsor Park Plate on the middle day of the Hawke’s Bay Carnival. Ridden by Hayden Tinsley, she settled back in the race, but once she was able to get to the outside in the straight, she powered home to win with conviction. She rounded out the preparation with a fourth placing in both the Kelt Capital Stakes and Caulfield Cup before an unlucky 11th in the Melbourne Cup.

Returning in the autumn, she returned with a win over 1100m at New Plymouth before placing at Group 1 level. Another Australian trip beckoned, but after a fourth placing in Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes and a fifth placing in The BMW, she was retired and returned to the Matamata nursery of Waikato Stud.

Daffodil’s influence will be seen in the pedigrees of Waikato Stud for generations to come, being the family of Orchestral, Savaglee (ex Glee), and the great-grandam of Group winners Atishu (ex Posy) and Mazzolino.

Fittingly, Daffodil celebrated a winner on Boxing Day when her son, Cross Tasman by Super Seth, made it consecutive wins when saluting at Royal Randwick. Daffodil’s final foal is being offered at the 2025 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale as Lot 371.

Daffodil will be deeply missed, but great mares never really leave us – her legacy will endure for generations.