WS family serving trainer well

20 February 2017

Singapore trainer Shane Baertschiger’s success with a WS family continued at Kranji on Friday night. He produced the consistent O’What A Feeling to win for the second time in his relatively brief career.

Baertschiger bought the son of O’Reilly at Karaka in 2014 for $100,000 having secured his brother two years earlier for $150,000. Racing as Blue Swede, his initial purchase has won seven races and has been placed in the Singapore Gold Cup.

They are out of the Zabeel mare Hooked Ona Feeling, who is also the dam of the multiple winners Bishops Castle and Line Seeker, also both by O’Reilly. Their second dam is the dual Australian Group Two winner Ugachaka.

The latest family winner O’What A Feeling has been honest throughout his career to date. Aside from his two wins, a further five placings from his 11 appearances emphasises his genuine nature.

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.