Ground-breaking American horseman Wesley Ward has made training two year-olds into a fine art.

Ward, 45, was the first USA trainer to saddle a winner at Royal Ascot when his two year-olds Strike the Tiger (Windsor Castle Stakes) and Jealous Again (Queen Mary Stakes) were successful in 2009.

He was back with No Nay Never to claim the G2 Norfolk Stakes at this year’s Royal Meeting.  The precocious colt then graduated to a G1 victory in the Prix Morny at Deauville in August.

Ward’s latest juvenile stakes winner from his Kentucky base arrived on Saturday when Henny Hughes filly Nana Anna captured the LR Rachel’s Turn Stakes (900m).  She led home a quinella for her sire who was also represented by runner-up Henny’s Princess.

Nana Anna (2f Henny Hughes – Muklah by Singspiel) is a homebred for Norah B Stables and her dam was a Listed winner of the 2001 Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket.  She is the 14th stakes winner by Henny Hughes and there’s more black-type on the way when his champion filly Beholder runs in the G1 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita this Saturday.

In Australia, Henny Hughes has sired 33 winners from his first southern book at a 61% strike-rate.  Wyong based filly Henny’s Lass is a member of that crop and she completed a hat-trick for trainer Allan Denham on Monday.

Henny Hughes shuttles from Western Australia to Walmac Farm in Kentucky.  He stands locally at Rangeview Stud for a $7,700 (inc gst) service fee.

– Karl Patterson

WESLEY WARD