Heroic Valour
Trish Dunell
A new look Heroic Valour will complete his Group One preparation at Ashburton on Saturday.
The Fastnet Rock colt will sport headgear for the first time in the Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes, which will serve as his lead in to the Sothys New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
"He's very well and he'll have the blinkers on," said Jamie Richards, who prepares the three-year-old with Stephen Autridge.
Heroic Valour lost his unbeaten record when third last time out in the Gr.2 Hawke's Bay Guineas on an unsuitably slow track and on a day when his stablemate Hall Of Fame boosted his Group One prospects at Riccarton.
The son of Savabeel was an impressive winner there of the Inglewood Stud Guineas Trial and he will step out next over a mile in the Listed Zacinto Stakes on Saturday week.
Hall Of Fame is at $8 in the 2000 Guineas market with Heroic Valour at $6 and Richards agrees there isn't a lot between the colts.
"They'll go ding-dong at Riccarton and we'll see who the better of the two of them is. Hall of Fame isn't far behind at all, although the other horse has improved since Hawke's Bay," he said.
Meanwhile, O'Naturelle will take on Heroic Valour this week as she heads toward the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com 1000 Guineas.
The daughter of O'Reilly and the Group Two winner Naturo won on debut at Taupo in August and collected black type in her only appearance since when she was third at Riccarton last month.
"She has improved since the Canterbury Belle and she gets up to 1400 metres, which will suit her," Richards said. – NZ Racing Desk.
The Fastnet Rock colt will sport headgear for the first time in the Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes, which will serve as his lead in to the Sothys New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
"He's very well and he'll have the blinkers on," said Jamie Richards, who prepares the three-year-old with Stephen Autridge.
Heroic Valour lost his unbeaten record when third last time out in the Gr.2 Hawke's Bay Guineas on an unsuitably slow track and on a day when his stablemate Hall Of Fame boosted his Group One prospects at Riccarton.
The son of Savabeel was an impressive winner there of the Inglewood Stud Guineas Trial and he will step out next over a mile in the Listed Zacinto Stakes on Saturday week.
Hall Of Fame is at $8 in the 2000 Guineas market with Heroic Valour at $6 and Richards agrees there isn't a lot between the colts.
"They'll go ding-dong at Riccarton and we'll see who the better of the two of them is. Hall of Fame isn't far behind at all, although the other horse has improved since Hawke's Bay," he said.
Meanwhile, O'Naturelle will take on Heroic Valour this week as she heads toward the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com 1000 Guineas.
The daughter of O'Reilly and the Group Two winner Naturo won on debut at Taupo in August and collected black type in her only appearance since when she was third at Riccarton last month.
"She has improved since the Canterbury Belle and she gets up to 1400 metres, which will suit her," Richards said. – NZ Racing Desk.