Ward branches out on his own
Britain’s latest recruit to the training ranks plans to put his wealth of experience to good use
Tom Ward is the latest outwardly-sensible young man who wants to throw his life away by training racehorses for his working life. Indeed, he is already up and running in Upper Lambourn, having had his first runner last week when Ricochet finished a creditable seventh at Kempton Park.
If Ward, 29, the youngest of three brothers, does not make it as a trainer it will not be for lack of experience. He has spent the past four years as assistant trainer to Richard Hannon, where he was considered a “massive asset”.
Before that, he spent time in Australia with John O’shea, in America with Kiaran Mclaughlin and in France with Alain de Royer-dupre and Francis Graffard.
Unlike some, who still have no idea of what they want to do at Ward’s current age, he gave his parents plenty of notice of his
intentions when informing them he wanted to train racehorses aged just 12, after he had been to the races a few times.
Ward subsequently read Racing Post at Marlborough College – whose trainer old boys include Ralph Beckett, Ian and Toby Balding and Peter Makin – and since joining local trainer Patrick Chamings on leaving school, he has spent the past decade gearing up for this moment.
You would be hard pushed to find a job where you could learn more while at the same time have the most fun than being assistant to Hannon.
So strong was their relationship that it suffered no ill effects when the trainer ran him over and broke his foot on Hungerford High Street, a road which, for those who do not know it, is on the side of a hill.
“I got out of the car,” recalled Ward. “He had not put the handbrake on and the car gently rolled on to my foot, so I asked him if he could kindly move it.”
He thought nothing more about the incident until his foot blew up alarmingly at Windsor races that evening and an X-ray confirmed four fractures.
You can see why insurance companies get in such a pickle. Hannon’s version is slightly different. “He [Ward] put his foot under the wheel,” he recalled. “My goodness he milked it – he had one of those orthopaedic boots on for six months – I think because it was cheaper than shoes.”
Ward did, however, witness the occasion when Richard Snr was parked in the middle of what is essentially a 50-acre field watching the horses on the gallops when Richard Jnr drew up in his vehicle.
Because of a heavy dew, nothing happened when Junior applied foot to brake and the only thing that brought him to a halt was his father’s car. The resulting prang was not well received by the stationary driver.
Ward currently has a barn in Charlie Mann’s yard but has bought the plot next door and a fortnight ago work started on what will be White House Farm Stables.
He already has 15 horses on his books. He bought five yearlings at Doncaster last week and has orders for more at the autumn sales.
So, although he will have a few runners this year, it is really all about 2020 for Ward, a year when he also marries his fiancee, Alex Lowe, who is bloodstock assistant to David Redvers at Tweenhills Stud.
She leaves her job next month to join him in setting up the new business but on Sunday he flew out to the United States to meet her extended family.
Either way, he was guaranteed a stormy reception – they live in South Carolina, which is directly in the path of Hurricane Dorian.
Patrick Hibbert-foy, the former senior stewards’ secretary, has died aged 76 after a long fight against cancer. Hibbert-foy, a captain in the 9th/12th Lancers, was first employed by the Jockey Club as a starter before switching to enforcing racing’s rules. He oversaw the smooth running of 50 Classics and his spell as a starter stood him in good stead when it was his call in 1993 to declare – entirely correctly – the Grand National void after the second false start.
When he got the top job he inherited the poisoned chalice of the old “irresponsible riding” rule, which sometimes meant clear winners had to be demoted behind the horse with which they had interfered if “irresponsible” riding was proved. He finally had “irresponsible” struck out of the Rule Book.