Mary’s Pride an emotional winner for Ward family
Last week the Meath Chronicle carried a short story on www.meathchronicle.ie about Laura Ward riding her first winner at Fairyhouse. Laura agreed to speak to sports editor Conall Collier about the win and all that surrounded it. That interview was printed in this week's edition of the Meath Chronicle and it is also listed below.
There was an emotional winner of the last race at Fairyhouse on Tuesday evening of last week when first-time-out amateur jockey Laura Ward won the bumper on the equally inexperienced Mary's Pride which was named in memory of her late mother.
Mary's Pride is owned and trained by Vincent Ward, was ridden by nis niece and was named after Laura's late mother who passed away three years ago.
Despite riding in her first race, the jockey timed her winning run perfectly from 14th position turning into the straight to go on and win by half-a-length and one and three-quarters from Top Dog in second and the Patrick Mullins-partnered favourite Hi Ho Phoenix in third place.
Trainer Vincent Ward is based close to Kilcock on the Meath side of the county boundary with Kildare as is his niece who lives a short distance away where her father Pat has a dairy farm.
Laura began riding ponies at the age of seven and graduated to the racehorses in her uncle's pre-training yard.
She attended primary and secondary school in Kilcock followed by college at nearby Maynooth from where she shortly hopes to graduate and pursue a career as a solicitor.
However, last week at Fairyhouse was a huge occasion for the Ward family, both at the track and watching on television as the standard end-of-the-day bumper produced what could only be described as a fairytale result.
"It was really emotional and joyful and everything else inbetween, my mother was 53 when she passed away three years ago after battling cancer," explained Laura at the weekend when she took time out to talk to the Meath Chronicle.
"I was 20 at that time and obviously it was a very sad period for all of us, my older brother Adam and of course my dad, who is a dairy farmer.
"My mother always had a great interest in horses and we only live about 200 yards from my uncle, Vincent.
"My interest in horses goes back to when I was about seven and I got a pony, that pony is still around the farm, but is retired now.
"Anyone who has ridden ponies will know that they can be a bit unpredictable and when I look at her now, enjoying retirement, I remember that she was a real brat at times, but it was a good education for me.
"By the time I was 12 I was ready to progress on to the horses and my uncle Vincent used to let me up on the quieter ones at the start.
"I progressed gradually with the horses and I was also playing football with Kilcock and had secondary school in Scoil Dara, I was fairly busy.
"Then I progressed on to college in Maynooth and I'm still studying in an online format at the moment.
"I'm almost finished at this stage at college and my aim is to qualify as a solicitor," she added.
It wasn't too difficult to drag Laura back to the victory at Fairyhouse last week and she outlined the background with an infectious enthusiasm.
It was quite obvious from talking to her that it was a wonderful occasion that was tinged with sadness and memories of her late mother.
"I had been considering getting a horse that I could ride in bumpers and I decided to apply for my amateur licence," she explained.
"I only had a small budget, but one requirement was that I could ride in the bumpers, if I bought something that had run on the flat it wouldn't be eligible for a bumper.
"We went to the sales at Tattersalls last year and we had a good look around, we had looked at the horses-in-training sales, but there was nothing that suited us.
"We eventually bought an unbroken three-year-old for €3,700, he was on the cheap side, he didn't have much on his page (the sales catalogue) as he was out of an unraced mare.
"There wasn't anything else in his family that had done anything on the racecourse, but we had a jockey with us who rides out for Vincent, Eoin O'Connell, he liked the look of him as well.
"The horse also fit the bill in the sense that he was unraced and would be eligible to run in bumpers, but we were very lucky to get him for that type of money.
"The fact that he hadn't been named for racing was an extra bonus, but he was a smashing looking horse, absolutely cracking.
"He was a big strong three-year-old and I know it's a bit of cliche, but he caught the eye.
"The name Mary's Pride was accepted, it's a bit of an unusual name for a gelding, but it was in memory of my mother who passed away three years ago after a lengthy battle with cancer.
"They say that you shouldn't send two novices out together, but that's exactly waht we had at Fairyhouse last week.
“It was my first ride on the track and it was Mary's Pride’s first outing also, not something that you would be having a big bet on to win anyway.
“On the plus side, I ride out nearly every day and I rode in a charity race in Borris last year on an ex-racehorse and I found that I enjoyed it.
“I had ridden Mary's Pride nearly every day since last September and I knew he was fairly straightforward, he didn't have any quirks.
"My instructions were to get a nice position and settle into the race, try to keep something in reserve for the home straight just in case I might be in with a chance.
"I had walked the track beforehand with Vincent and the ground was a bit chopped up after three hurdle races that day with another one to come.
"I decided to keep out a bit to get the better ground and that meant going a bit wide into the straight, but I got a nice gap as well.
"We work the horses up the Skryne gallop twice a week and the little incline in the home straight at Fairyhouse didn't cause any problems after that hill at Skryne.
"He just took off in the straight, my target was to get around and finish as well as I could.
"The likes of Patrick Mullins finished third and I was watching him during the race, he was pushing.
"When I asked my fellow to go, he just took off, I couldn't believe it when I looked to my right and I was ahead of them all.
"The one thing that was really noticeable was that it all happened so quickly and I had won.
"My uncle James was there leading up the horse, Vincent was there and Eoin (O'Connell) also, my father (Pat) had to watch the race on television, I'd say he was shouting at the screen along with my brother Adam," she added as she recalled an event that will live long in the memories of the Ward family.
The hectic schedule that Laura maintains will certainly keep her race-fit for her next outing that might not be with the wonderful Mary's Pride.
"I ride out for Vincent every morning and then I go over to Lorna Fowler and ride out for her, after that it’s college which is on the laptop at the moment due to Covid.
"The last six months of my degree was all completed online and currently the lectures are all recorded and that allows a certain amount of flexibility.
"I still play football as well, but there has been nothing on that front for the past while.
"Regarding Mary's Pride, we have had an offer or two since that win at Fairyhouse and I'd say he will be moving on.
"It will be a difficult decision, but it would probably the best thing to do.
"Obviously if we sell Mary's Pride there will be a budget to source a replacement.
"There was a €10,000 incentive bonus for the winner of the race at Fairyhouse to help the owner purchase another Irish-bred horse.
"I'll probably be back at the sales again this year to see if we can get another Mary's Pride," she concluded.
WHAT THEY SAID
VINCENT WARD (TRAINER)
“That's brilliant. We bought this fella last year for €3,700 for Laura.
"She's been riding racehorses since she was a 12-year-old and she is going to college at the moment.
“She's also been riding out for Lorna Fowler and has been a great help to me.
“The horse is named after Laura's late moter (Mary) who passed away three years ago.
“These are the days for small trainers.
"For me to produce the horse first time out and to give Laura her first winner is one of the best days I've had for a long time."
EOIN BENVILLE (BREEDER - ARCTIC TACK STUD)
"I was delighted when Mary's Pride won that race at Fairyhouse.
"Vincent (Ward) is a good friend of mine and certainly did well out of that deal.
"I have a three-year-old full brother to Mary's Pride going to the Doncaster sales and that win will certainly boost the form.
"I bred General Principle, the winner of the 2018 Irish Grand National, and a few other good ones as well, but that win at Fairyhouse was a great result.
"I didn't realise that it was Laura's first outing on the track until afterwards, a great result for everyone and a good news story for racing."