Ward on the board

When five year old pacing mare Tornado Banner (Bettor’s Delight) won at Addington last Friday night (Jul. 7) it completed what has been a long journey for both the horse and her dedicated young harness racing trainer Alison Ward. 

Ward purchased Tornado Banner from Denis Moore at the 2019 NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch for $21,000. 

“I was lucky to get her for the price I did being by Bettor’s Delight, out of a really good family,” Ward said. 

Tornado Banner is out of the McArdle mare When You’re Hot, the winner of five races. She’s left Hurricane Banner (Real Desire) 8 wins, Teegan Banner (Art Major) 8 wins and Cyclone Banner (Bettor’s Delight) 28 wins. 

TORNADO BANNER REPLAY

“The mare has been a 100% producer (of winners) and my filly was the one we were waiting on to keep the record going for the family.” 

In the hands of Sarah O’Reilly, Tornado Banner led for most of the 1980 metre trip hanging on to beat Rosie Richter (Always B Miki) by a neck. 

“She’s quite casual and I think she didn’t see Mark Jones’s filly coming down the outside before she got right up beside her.” 

Ward owns seventy five percent of Tornado Banner while her sister and her partner who live in Perth own the remaining twenty five percent. 

Tornado Banner is now five and has tested the resolve of Ward, but to the young horsewoman’s credit she never given up. 

“She’s been an unlucky horse all of her career. She had the ability to race at two (but) her body wasn’t ready. I tried her again at three and she got to the workouts and trials then fractured a hind leg and had time off for that. When she came back she had a bout of colitis which is quite a serious intestinal infection. She got over that and I managed to get her to the races the next time in. I gave her a wee freshen up after the Cup Day maiden and then she must have slipped in the paddock and got a muscle tear in her hind quarter.” 

While she was recovering from the muscle tear she got a number of foot abscesses. 

“She had a deep seated abscess in her front foot that took about four months to come out. I started to think it wasn’t meant to be. I was starting to think about breeding from her and then she came right.” 

Ward was born in Perth and always had a strong connection to horses. 

“I originally wanted to study vet nursing because I loved animals. I didn’t get into the course and ended up working in a stable to get some experience to count for points towards that course. It was a harness racing barn and I fell in love with it.” 

The stable was Noel Kerley’s in Perth who at the time had Tee Pee Village, (Tinted Cloud) the winner of twenty four races and Cody Banks (Armbro Operative) the winner of thirteen. Ward was at the stable for about twelve months before heading to Grant William’s stables. 

“He was a dual code trainer who started with standardbreds and ended up moving to thoroughbreds. He had six standardbreds and thirty thoroughbreds. Working for him made me realise that I wanted to head towards being a trainer myself.” 

After working for Williams, Alison went to work for Peter Anderson where she learned to drive. 

“I thought before I started training, I wanted to come over to New Zealand for the experience. I went straight to the top and rang Mark (Purdon) and asked him for a job.” 

The answer was yes, and Ward began at the All Stars barn in May 2017. 

“I thought I’d just stay on until Cup Week and then head back, but I’ve been here ever since.” 

Over the six years Ward has been at the Rolleston barn she’s looked after some prized bloodstock including Dream About Me, (Bettor’s Delight) Amazing Dream, (Bettor’s Delight) Princess Tiffany, (Art Major), Bettor Twist (Bettor’s Delight) and No Matter Wat (A Rocknroll Dance). 

“They’ve all been pretty special and I just seem to gravitate toward the fillies and mares.” 

Ward has held her trainer’s licence for two years and although she drives fast work for Mark and Nathan Purdon, she’s not considering getting a full driving license. 

“I’m happy to put others on board, I get nervous watching as it is (laughter).” 

Ward has two horses in work – Tornado Banner and Shelby Bromac (Art Major). 

“Michael (partner Michael Purdon) and I own half each (in Shelby Bromac). She’s a nice maiden who qualified (at Ashburton in March). We’ve given her a wee break and we’re working her back up now.”  

Alison’s day at the All Stars stable starts at 7:30am. The horses are brought back in after lunch and groomed before being fed later in the day. At 4.00pm she heads to Jonny Cox’s Leeston property to work her two horses, so it’s a busy old day. 

For the time being Alison Ward is happy working at the All Stars and training a small team on her own account. 

“They have such a high standard of care and treat every horse like an individual. They’ve got a lovely track there and they feed them well.”  

Tornado Banner is back racing this Thursday night at Addington in Race Six. 

For complete race entries, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink