After a successful career in funds management and financial services. Michael Ward joined his brother Chris in the ownership and management of Triple Crown. Their stable star and Australia’s fastest sprinter, Redzel was purchased by the astute brothers, from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2014 for A$120,000.
Michael Ward speaks to EDII about his sta, Redzel.
Q: How did you choose to buy Redzel? How did the story begin?
A: Triple Crown were one of the first to spot the talent in the progeny of Snitzel having purchased Group 1 winner Hot Snitzel and Group 2 winner Flying Snitzel out of his first few crops for just $60,000 and $25,000 respectively, and Redzel was a yearling that very much caught our eye at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale. He has a speed pedigree that appeals to our ownership being out of the Golden Slipper placed mare Millrich, and is a half brother to the very talented Group 3 winner Danerich. A very fluent mover, he looked a classy horse from the very start.
Q: Who are the people behind Triple Crown Syndicates which own Redzel?
A: There are many great stories behind the ownership of Redzel and it is essentially an underdog story of a group of everyday Australians, coming together to compete at the very highest level of racing. Within the ownership there are people from all walks of life : from a taxi driver and a teacher, to a concreter and a group of policeman. For some, this has been their first foray into racehorse ownership, while others have owned several horses, yet the journey Redzel has taken them on has been a dream come true for all. There are 17 listed owners in Redzel and 30 owners all up, and below I document the individual stories of some of these owners.
Peter Piras
“Words can’t describe how much this horse means to me. I’ve suffered through leukemia and endured bone marrow transplants and truthfully I’m lucky to be here today.
“I remember saying to Chris at Triple Crown when they purchased him to make sure he holds me a share in that horse! I can’t believe the success that we’ve had with Redzel and he not only keeps me going but also my family.”
John Medland
“I have been involved in sport all my life and particularly through racing, cricket and golf. At times we are blessed to have success in our ventures, and in the mid 1980s I was fortunate to be coach of the NSW Cricket team that won the Sheffield Shield and featured several top class athletes.
“However nothing compares to the thrilling ride that is happening with my fellow owners in Redzel. My son, Luke, who has Downs Syndrome, absolutely loves the horse and never misses a race. For him it has been a wonderful journey.”
Abram Savage
“They say racing is the sport of King’s but if you go to the races and take a look around most of the punters and racing fans are everyday people with dreams that one day they might be able to get involved with a racehorse!
“I’m just a simple concreter living the dream with Redzel.”
Patricia Di Marco
“Nothing reflects the Australian spirit more than having a fair go, taking a chance and mateship. For my husband John, racing was an outlet for all three.
“John suffered with chronic illness and mobility issues but his greatest joy was going to the races to watch Redzel with his good friend and fellow owner Brad Playford, with the pair spending hours together studying the form.
“Sadly, we lost John two years ago just as Redzel was starting to hit his stride. Redzel is a horse that’s come up through the classes and with hard work and persistence he has become one of the strongest sprinters in the country.”
Mark Waddington
“Four years ago my mother passed away and my brother and I got together and decided a part share in a racehorse would be a wonderful way to use some of the inheritance we received. We were always around horses as children and we used to spend time with our father listening to the races on a Saturday afternoon on the radio.
“It’s been an exciting ride for us and to remember mum in this way is quite emotional.”
Q: Has he started training for the Everest 2018?
A: Redzel has been back at the Snowden Racing stable for three weeks now. He very much enjoys his time in the stable and after an easy couple of weeks his work is just beginning to be stepped up, as he nears a return to the races.
Q: Almost half the field has now formed. Are there any contenders which you think could pose a challenge to Redzel in his endeavour to retain his title?
A: As it was last year, the field will be made up of 12 of the most talented sprinters in the world. Redzel’s level of form has been as good as any of his competitors who currently have a slot in the race and as the defending champion he will command respect from all corners. It looks an open race once again, but we’re quietly confident Redzel can prove himself to be the leading sprinter in Australia once again. We’re excited to be a part of the race again as it was a fantastic day last year, and credit goes to Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club for making it happen.
Q: What would you say is his best run so far?
A: Redzel has been operating at a consistent level for a long time now, and in his last 13 races he’s finished first or second in 12 of them, winning eight. But his level of performance in The Everest was sensational as he dictated the race and never looked like being passed. He had an air of authority about him in that race which rightly led him to become the most feared sprinter in the country. His run in the Darley Classic following The Everest is equally to be admired.
Q: What are plans for Redzel pre and post The Everest 2018?
A: We have a couple of options as to his lead up runs into The Everest. Last year he went to the Concorde Stakes followed by The Shorts and we could follow the same passage again, or slightly modify his preparations. We’ll let the horse come to hand and will have continued discussions with Peter & Paul Snowden as we get deeper into his preparation. The Everest is his principal target for this preparation as retaining that title would be a tremendous achievement. We’re focusing on The Everest before making any plans beyond that.
Q: Given Merchant Navy’s recent win, are there any plans for him to race internationally in 2019?
A: We flirted with the idea of going abroad this year to Royal Ascot with him, but the level of prize money here and with the option of defending our Everest title we opted to stay on home shores. I wouldn’t rule anything out in the future should he still be performing at the level he is now. It would be a fantastic experience for our owners, but we have more immediate targets to get through before even considering that.
Q: And are there any plans to retire him anytime soon?
A: He’s a gelding and therefore while he is still performing at a high level and has a zest for his work we will not have any plans to retire him.
Q: Are there any funny behind:the:scenes anecdotes pertaining to Redzel which have left the owners chuckling?
A: He’s a great character in and around the stable. He is adorned by several of his owners for what he has gone through in his life. Redzel was an orphan foal after his dam, Millrich, died a couple of weeks after foaling him. So he’s had to come through some challenges in life to get to where he is and I think that’s reflected in his steely attitude on the racetrack. He took a little while to work out as a racehorse. Although possessing heaps of talent he was never able to quite reach the top level early on in his career. We were struggling to work him out when one day Hugh Bowman rode him in a race at Rosehill and said, ‘today I want to do something different on him’. As it turns out, Hugh’s idea was to take the lead from the start and he led the field up by ten lengths before just being beaten into second. He’s since switched to front running tactics, winning the Fireball on his next start and his level of performance has increased ever since!
Q: It’s known that Redzel loves to race. He prefers training to hanging around in the paddock? Is this true? What are his other quirks, if any?
A: He very much prefers the working environment of the stable and he enjoys being worked each day. He has an aptitude for his work and is very professional in everything he does these days.
Q: What kind of personality is Redzel?
A: He is an incredibly relaxed individual now. He loved soaking up the atmosphere of The Everest last year and is almost bomb proof in his demeanor. He loves the attention and always appreciated a visit from his owners!
Q: Are there any other new horses which you have bought which look like they are developing into stable stars?
A: Our whole string has been performing very well lately, with ten individual Stakes performers in 2018. Three year old filly Moss Trip has been one to rapidly emerge on the scene this year, winning the Group 3 James Carr Stakes and the $400,000 Inglis Guineas at Scone. She was a $32,000 purchase from the Inglis Classic sale and will be one to watch this coming season as she’s improving all the time. We have a very exciting crop of new yearlings that we have purchased this year, with shares still available to join the team for the coming season!
Credit: Pallavi Shevade, pallavi.shevade@secretariatsworld.com