Our Heroic Hero

Premiership leading trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards recorded their fourth Group One of the season when Heroic Valour (2 c Fastnet Rock – Myrrh, by Nassipour) cemented a hat-trick of wins with an outstanding victory in the $200,000 Sistema Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) on Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie.

Thought by many to be the strongest field of juveniles assembled this season in New Zealand, Heroic Valour showed good improvement after winning the $50,000 Reid & Harrison Matamata Slipper (Listed, 1200m) at his previous start and provided champion sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill) with his first Group One two-year-old winner.

Heroic Valour is owned by the Te Akau 2015 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), after being purchased by David Ellis Ellis as a yearling for $400,000 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud. From the same draft, Ellis also secured his brother for $510,000 in January this year at Karaka.

“He’s a very valuable colt and put up a pretty good performance, today,” said Ellis. “We were thrilled that Jonathan Riddell came up from Palmerston North to gallop him here on Tuesday morning and it was terrific that the Auckland Racing Club allowed us to use the course proper.

“It was really good for a young horse to have a gallop here and get the feel of it.

“He’s a colt with a lot of potential for next season, and he will have one more start as a two-year-old, at Manawatu, and then go out in preparation for three-year-old racing.

“Steve and Jamie were really confident,” said Ellis. “They reported to me that both the two-year-olds [Sassy ‘N’ Smart] had worked very well and this colt was improving, literally, daily. He was eating well, working well, and they were happy with him.

“We bought the brother for the colts' syndicate this year and there will be a lot of very happy owners in him because he’d make a lot more money today."

Heroic Valour provided Te Akau with their third success in the race, following Warhorse (General Nediym) winning in 2012 and Maroofity (Maroof) in 2003, and after scoring recently aboard stable-mates Bordeaux (High Chaparral) and Echezeaux (Encosta De Lago) the win also provided Riddell with a notable hat-trick.

“That’s why we picked him,” said co-trainer Stephen Autridge. “We needed a strong rider and he’d won his recent rides for us. Jonathan said he was a gentleman when he rode him on Tuesday and I said ‘he’ll improve, so you’ll be right’.

“We were very happy coming into the race because we know how much ability he’s got. We thought he may do a few things wrong, but he ended up getting a gun run and won with a little bit in hand.

“It took him a while to get into a challenging position, so the 1400 metres should suit and he’s had another run. We’re going the right way with the right sort of horse and as I said when he won last time ‘he’s a Guineas horse’ ", said Autridge.

In his second stint of training for Te Akau, Autridge paid tribute to the honour bestowed upon Richards and him by Te Akau principal David Ellis.

“We’ve won the 2000 Guineas this season, and the 1000 Guineas as well,and the Waikato Sprint and we’ve got to thank the lord that we’ve been given these good jobs. David has bought all these good horses and we’ve just got to do our best,” said Autridge.

“We can’t make slow horses go fast and just have to be thankful that he’s buying the best."

Beautifully put into the race, ridden up to secure fourth at the 900m, Heroic Valour stood the leader four lengths at the 600m, was clear to challenge on straightening and once given a remainder by Riddell, with the whip in his left-hand, he galloped out boldly to prove too good.

Unbeaten in three starts, Heroic Valour returned incredibly good odds ($18.30 & $4.50) and ran the 1200 metres in a slick 1:09.7 (last 600m in 34.6).

“He relaxed in the one-one, and it’s great to be given the opportunity to ride for team like this,” said Riddell.

“Three from three, you can’t get much better than that. He’s full of raw power; he’s still a work in progress and it was pleasure to ride the horse."

Heroic Valour will now prepare for the $225,000 Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) on April 2 at Awapuni.

His dam, Myrrh, has already left the winners of more than twenty races. Her best performer was Triple Honour (Honours List). Trained by Chris Waller, Triple Honour won three times as a two year old, was a good horse in any one's language, and culminated his career by winning the Doncaster Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Randwick.

His dam-sire, Nassipour, has always been regarded as a great stallion and famous for siring the terrific race mare Let’s Elope who was a very impressive winner of the Melbourne Cup for trainer Bart Cummings.

Heroic Valour was strapped by Teina Walters.

Picture credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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