HEREWARD’S NOT MAD ABOUT SADDLES

Hereward pricked the ears when he spotted Mark Bradley's infield camera on Saturday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

The majority of racehorses are oblivious to the signs of imminent competition. Most are unfazed by the familiar pre-race routine at home, the inevitable road trip by horse transport or trailer, and the unmistakable buzz of the racetrack when unloaded at the other end.

Others seem to sense it’s race day from early morning. These are the horses who sometimes sweat up so badly on the way to the races that they need to be hosed off before being tethered in the “tie-up” stalls. Some highly strung horses will settle down once the bustle has subsided, to the great relief of their trainers. The real test comes when it’s time for the most adrenalized to be saddled up. What should be a simple procedure can sometimes become a wrestling match, as David Payne was heard to say while saddling Hereward before the gelding’s impressive win at Randwick on Saturday.

David Payne looked much more relaxed after Hereward's win than he did during the saddling up process - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

“Around the stables he’s not a moment’s trouble but whenever he knows he has to do something physical it’s a different story,” said the expatriate South African horseman. “On days when he has to gallop, we take him to the track before any other horses arrive, get him worked and back in the stable before he has a chance to think about it. On race days he’s a handful from early morning, but the real fireworks start when it’s time to saddle him up. It takes three of us to get the job done, one at his head and one either side. In the time it takes to put on the non-slip pad, lead bag, saddle cloth and jockey’s saddle he never stops trying to rear or jam one of us up against the dividing rail. Thank goodness he has plenty of talent.”

The vastly experienced trainer was much calmer during the running of Saturday’s 3&4YO BM72 than he’d been during the tense saddling up process. Anna Roper had Hereward away quickly from an inside draw and couldn’t believe her luck when Steel Strike and I Am Carrot rolled forward to give her the luxury of the box seat. At the 600m Hereward was striding comfortably on the fence behind Steel Strike, I Am Carrot and Namaste who made a line of three. Waku Waku was prominent with Cheval De Bois trapped off the track. Hereward’s chances were further boosted when Steel Strike got the “wanders” turning for home presenting him with a spacious inside run. It seemed to take the gelding a few seconds to work out what was expected of him, but Anna Roper’s sense of urgency quickly put him into overdrive.

There was a lot to like about the way Hereward hit the line to take his record to two wins and three seconds from just six starts for $164,400. “He’s a horse with definite upside provided he gives all this other nonsense away,” said Payne. “It’s a wonder he’s been able to win two city races after using up so much energy with his pre-race antics. He’s not the biggest horse in the world but certainly big enough and is put together perfectly. He looks like a horse with a touch of class and I’m sure he’ll prove it as he learns to relax a bit.”

Hereward continued on his upward trajectory with a stylish win at Randwick - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Regular race watchers are cognisant of the colours carried by Hereward and a handful of other horses in the Payne stable. The simple but striking silks were brought to prominence just a few years ago by the giant mare Montefilia whose thirty three start racing career yielded seven wins, nine placings and a whopping $4,538,675 in prize money. In twenty seven starts for David Payne she collected four Gr 1 trophies - Flight Stakes, Spring Champion Stakes, ATC Metropolitan and Ranvet Stakes.

Montefilia was transferred to Chris Waller after being knocked down to Yulong Investments at the 2023 Inglis Chairman’s Sale for a cool $3.4 million. In six starts for the leading stable her only win came in the Gr 2 Hill Stakes. Montefilia was retired after disappointing efforts in the Caulfield Cup and McKinnon Stakes of 2023.

The colours she carried prior to her acquisition by Yulong were the same as those carried to victory by Hereward - orange and pale blue vertical halves, with white sleeves and white cap. These were the colours of the old South African flag between 1928-1994 after which Fred Brownell was commissioned to create a new flag in time for the first post apartheid election. South African born Richard Kurland, partner of Montefilia’s part owner Caroline Vincent applied for the colours with little expectation of success. He was bowled over when the colours were issued to the Montefilia ownership, and derived great enjoyment in watching the wonderful mare carry them to a quartet of wins at the elite level. The same Richard Kurland was thrilled to see Anna Roper flash past the post on Hereward in the now well known silks.

Anna Roper looked the part in the colours of the old South African flag. Here she is returning to scale at Randwick on Saturday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

David Payne added more to Hereward’s backstory when he recalled his brief experience with the gelding’s dam Bona Dea Tapit. “This bloke’s temperament may well stem from his hot headed mother,” recalled the trainer. “I had her for a short time and I can tell you she was an absolute nervous wreck. She used to run around in her box all day long, getting herself into a dreadful state. She finished a mile back in two trials after which I told the owners she was unlikely to ever pay her way. They decided on a brief Tasmanian campaign in which she raced only once for an unplaced effort in a maiden at Mowbray, and then they called it quits.

“Because she’s a daughter of outstanding USA stallion Tapit, the owners decided to try her in the breeding barn and along comes Hereward. His sire is the Japanese bred and Irish trained Saxon Warrior who was standing at Coolmore at the time. Saxon Warrior is by the great stallion Deep Impact from the talented mare Maybe and showed great ability as a young horse for Aidan O’Brien. He won a Gr 1 as a two year old, and the Gr 1 2000 Guineas at three. He had little luck in finishing fourth in the English Derby and was placed in other top flight races. If Hereward decides to mend his manners, I’d be tempted to try him over more ground going forward.”

Hereward's handsome features complimented the photo as connections displayed the winner's sash - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Those curious about the naming of racehorses will be interested to learn that a chapter in eleventh century English history led owners Caroline Vincent, Andy Giles and Hugh Docherty to “Hereward” as an appropriate name for their chestnut Saxon Warrior colt. Some quick research revealed that Hereward The Wake (sometimes known as Hereward The Outlaw or Hereward The Exile) was a proactive Anglo-Saxon nobleman who led the resistance against the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. History has given the original Hereward a sound enough profile to warrant his name being recirculated for a thoroughbred son of Saxon Warrior 959 years after the Battle Of Hastings and other skirmishes involving the invaders from Normandy.

Apart from his temperament issues the modern day Hereward gave David a few other problems at the start of his second racing campaign. “Despite his lunatic behaviour when saddling up, I was pretty pleased with the way he was going,” said the trainer. “He’d run seconds at Hawkesbury and on the Kensington track at his first two race starts and looked a real improver. He came back after a spell to run second in two Rosehill trials and was ready to race when he came down with a virus. We backed off immediately, treated him under veterinary supervision and he appeared back to normal. He was just about ready to race when he suffered a sudden temperature spike and we had to ease up again. Thankfully that episode caused him no long term problems.”

Hereward was back at the races in early November to finish fourth first up in a Gosford Super Maiden, giving every indication that he was in need of the run. He improved sharply to beat all but Patonga at Canterbury before shaking off his maiden status on the same track three weeks later with Ashley Morgan in the saddle. “He led in that race which wasn’t ideal, but he raced a little too keenly and Ashley had little option but to let him stride along,” said David. “Last Saturday at Randwick we opted for Anna Roper’s 2KG claim and made the decision to ride him more quietly. I was thrilled with the way he settled and you could see what a difference it made. I’d love to try him over more ground in the near future. I’d have to say the Queensland Derby isn’t off the radar.”

Hereward opened his account with an all the way win in a Canterbury maiden with Ashley Morgan in the saddle 19/12/2025 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

One of David’s twenty horse team is a Flying Artie three year old gelding called Clanwilliam who’s very highly rated by his trainer. “He’s raced by my great supporter Wayne Shelton along with his family and friends,” said Payne. “He hasn’t placed in three starts to date but had been showing me any amount of ability before presenting with a wind infirmity. It had probably been lurking for a while and was almost certainly the reason he wasn’t showing his best. He’s had the “tie-back” procedure and is currently in the paddock. I’m sure he’ll show his true colours next time around. In fact, I believe Clanwilliam is the real deal. I’m looking forward to getting him back into work.”