Ward Cutting Loose with Kiwi Talent

Media Release - Monday December 18
A New Zealand Group performer has joined the stable of a history-making American trainer.

Cut Me Loose - Race Images

Cut Me Loose - Race Images

Cut Me Loose is now under the care of Wesley Ward, the first United States-based conditioner to ship a horse to England and win a stakes race at the Royal Ascot meeting.

A former Group One-winning jockey, he produced Strike the Tiger to win the 2009 Listed Windsor Castle Stakes (1000m) and the following day stablemate Jealous Again claimed the Gr.2 Queen Mary Stakes (1000m).

Ward has since won the Gr.1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) in 2015 with Undrafted, who beat Chris Waller's Brazen Beau, and last year claimed the Gr.1 King's Stand Stakes (1000m) with Lady Aurelia.

His Kiwi import Cut Me Loose is raced by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, who stands the four-year-old's sire Swiss Ace at his Karaka operation.

"He had four starts in New Zealand for two wins and ran third in the Wellington Guineas," former trainer Shaune Ritchie said.

"He's a very talented horse, but he had a bleed in trackwork and I said to (Westbury Stud manager) Russell Warwick that I wasn't that comfortable about getting the horse back to the races.

"We had a talk about it and suggested Gerry send him to America where he can run on Lasix to help the bleeding.

"The horse is currently in Miami and they are very happy with him. I've spoken on the phone with Wes a couple of times.

"He races on both coasts and he's invited us over there so we'd love to go and see how they do things." – NZ Racing Desk.



Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 19
Here is the full list of 37 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Royal Ascot Day 4- Roughies Rule and an Aussie Owned Fairytale
The racing roller coaster took a big dive at Royal Ascot on Day 4 which was not a good day for favourite backers with roughies ruling in both G1 races and a first season sire produced the winner of the juvenile feature on the card.
Royal Ascot Day 3 – Record Smashed and Bluebloods
More glamour and galloping overnight at Royal Ascot with four Group races decided and the Coolmore juggernaut won three of them, but not the prized feature on the card, the Group I Ascot Gold Cup (2m4f) which was won in dazzling course record time.
Aussie Owned Filly Wins G1 Royal Ascot Coronation Stakes
Long shots were the order of the day at Royal Ascot on Day 4 and there was no bigger or better upset than the 33-1 shock winner of the Group I Coronation Stakes (1m) for three year-old fillies with the winner Cercene sired by Epsom Derby winner Australia and owned by Australian Shane Stafford.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
It’s a busy time of year for late season juveniles looking get a run on the board before they turn three and eight heats at the Rosehill trials on Friday were won by two year-olds including some unraced youngsters by gun first season sires Wootton Bassett (GB), Ole Kirk and Farnan.
Significant racing and breeding prospects aplenty in June (Late ) Sale
A range of intriguing broodmares and breeding prospects – as well as many young, in-form racehorses suitable for both the domestic and Hong Kong market – headline a stellar catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Late) Online Sale.
New 2YO Stakes Winner for Hello Youmzain
The Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) was one of the few age-group features in the lower North Island that was missing from Lisa Latta’s CV, but the fast-improving filly Platinum Diamond dealt to that unfinished business at Otaki on Friday.
Sires With Winners - Friday June 20
Here is the full list of 40 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Coolmore 2YO Domination at Royal Ascot
Coolmore continued their domination of the juvenile features at Royal Ascot overnight with an impressive win in the Group II Norfolk Stakes (5f) for Charles Darwin, the full brother to 2022 Champion European 2YO Colt Blackbeard.
Breeding To Win - 2025 Royal Ascot G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
In the depths of our Aussie winter nights there is nothing better than tuning in to all the pomp and glory of Royal Ascot and as we have passed the halfway mark it's time to look towards Saturday night and the iconic sprint that has been won four times previously by an Aussie bred horse.