David Ward

The Prettiest Star (Starman), fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas, has been purchased by Wathnan Racing. The maiden winner will remain with trainer Ed Walker. Bred by Northern Star Bloodstock, the daughter of Ediyva (Kingman) is a granddaughter of G3 Athasi Stakes heroine Emiyna (Maria's Mon) from the family of G1 Gold Cup heroine Estimate (Monsun). She made her first three starts in the colours of David Ward, with a debut win at Nottingham in August followed by a second-place finish in the G2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket a month...

David Ward's year of celebration with Starman has continued into the run-up to Christmas as his filly Sound And Vision provided the breakthrough first-season sire with his 42nd winner at Southwell on Friday. After watching the Ed Walker trainee collect the five-furlong novice, he was keen to reflect on the season of all seasons. "You go into the year with hopes and dreams, don't you? But in life, hopes and dreams get dashed, never mind in horse racing," he said. "To come out the other end with those hopes and...

The Prettiest Star (Starman) was the subject of support on this debut into 15-8 favouritism, and cruising to the fore before two out, the homebred drew away to score with a large degree of comfort by 4 1/2 lengths from Sara Moon (Oasis Dream). "She was very cool and calm and pretty professional--she did the job nicely," commented owner-breeder David Ward, who was watching his first runner by the sire he bred and campaigned to win a July Cup, and who now sits on 17 first-crop winners. "It's one thing...

Scenic, the winner of this year's G3 Bronte Cup Fillies' Stakes at York, has been retired to stud after meeting with a setback. Trained by Ed Walker, the daughter of Lope De Vega heads to the paddocks as the winner of three of her 18 starts and just shy of £200,000 in career earnings. Initially owned by David Ward, she was bought by Wathnan Racing after her first Group-race success on the Knavesmire and was last seen filling the runner-up spot in the G2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock. Wathnan's racing...

Nine years after Almanzor dropped a massive hint that Wootton Bassett might just be a decent sire by winning the Prix du Jockey Club comes the next wave for the stallion whose fee has gone from as low as €4,000 to this year's high of €300,000.  As has been well documented, Wootton Bassett's current crop of three-year-olds are the result of his first season standing at Coolmore in Ireland after one of the biggest transfer deals of recent years saw him leave Haras d'Etreham, where he had made his name...

The makers of the popular BBC programme Country File could easily film a riveting episode just within the 700 acres of Nottinghamshire countryside that is Whatton Manor Stud. The farm is home to Longhorn cattle and rare breeds such as Wensleydale sheep and Suffolk Punch horses. But its main business is of course the breeding and rearing of thoroughbreds, something the Player family has done increasingly well in the 40 years since Peter Player inherited the farm from his aunt. An inheritance of a plot of such rich land deep...

When the affable David Ward bought a Montjeu (Ire) yearling filly at Goffs Orby through SackvilleDonald for €50,000 in 2011, he could not have envisaged the journey she would take he and his family on over the next 10 years. Named Northern Star (Ire), she was no world-beater on the track, winning a maiden at Bath as a 3-year-old; however, her record as a broodmare was impeccable before her untimely death after delivering just three foals. Her second foal was Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), who carried Ward's colours to...

Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}--Northern Star {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}), who was favourite for Saturday's G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S., has been retired from racing after suffering a minor injury. He will stand next season at Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland. "It's a huge shame as we were really looking forward to Saturday and confirming him to be the champion that he is," said Starman's trainer Ed Walker. "I've always thought he was the best around and he's certainly the best I've ever trained." Bred and raced by David Ward,...

One horse overshadowed all other news items of the past week as the bloodstock world came to terms with the death of Galileo (Ire) at the age of 23.  Fulsome tributes have been paid to him from across the globe with the overwhelming feeling being that we will never see his like again. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that many of us felt the same when his own extraordinary sire Sadler's Wells died 10 years ago. That colossus of the breeding world appeared in the third or fourth...

With the weather staying clear ahead of Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket, David Ward's Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) had his day to deliver on all the abundant promise he had shown so far in his brief career in a strong renewal. Successful in the May 12 G2 Duke of York S. over this six-furlong trip, the 9-2 second favourite was buried in mid-division of the group racing stand's side throughout the early stages with the pace rapid up ahead. Staying on powerfully up the rising ground to...

Rising star sprinter Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) is on course for the July 10 G1 July Cup, with trainer Ed Walker saying he expects ground conditions to be in the 4-year-old's favour. The David Ward homebred was forced to miss last weekend's G1 Diamond Jubilee S. after significant rain fell at Royal Ascot; that course is the scene of Starman's lone defeat, where he beat two home in last year's G1 British Champions Sprint S. over the soft ground. The lightly raced 4-year-old was the first-up winner of the...

If you asked a trainer to design the perfect owner, he or she may well come up with something very close to David Ward. His horses would likely agree, too. Ward had two runners as York's Dante meeting and they both returned to Ed Walker's stable victorious. The 4-year-old homebred Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) won the G2 Duke of York Clipper Logistics S. on the opening day, followed 48 hours later by the listed success of Primo Bacio (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}). Both now head to Royal Ascot with Group...