Ward bounces back to best in cup

9 December 2013

Ward struck gold for his new stable when he turned his form around with victory in the Mudgee Cup. The O’Reilly five-year-old had tailed the field home when unsuited by track conditions in his debut from David Vandyke’s Warwick Farm yard and he was able to improve significantly on a good surface.

A five-time winner from 19 appearances, Ward was a $115,000 yearling when offered by WS at Karaka in 2010. He is a son of the Kinjite mare Activate who has done a good job at stud as the dam of five winners, including the open class performer Jack’s Point (Pins). It is also the family of the Singapore Group Three winner Nandowra (Savabeel).

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.