Will 'Valour' Be Enough?

Te Akau Racing's colours were carried to victory in the 2015 edition of this race by future New Zealand champion 3-year-old Xtravagant (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) and this year Te Akau has two chances in the NZ$400,000 1600-metre G1 Sothys 44th New Zealand 2000 Guineas in the form of Heroic Valour (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Hall of Fame (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}).

A winner of his first four starts at the beginning of this year, including the GI Sistema Diamond S. beating runner-up Wyndspelle (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) third up in March, Heroic Valour, the lone Group 1 winner in the field of 11, picked up right where he left off in the fall in the Listed New Zealand Breeders' S. at Ruakaka Sept. 10. The half-brother to G1 Emirates Doncaster H. hero Triple Honour (NZ) (Honours List {Ire}) suffered his first loss when third behind Mongolian Falcon (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Jon Snow (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the G2 Sacred Falls Hawkes Bay Guineas stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time Oct. 1. He was a length behind G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas hopeful La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}) with Savile Row (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) third in the Listed Barneswood Farm S.–also at that distance–most recently Oct. 15.

Heroic Valour's stablemate Hall of Fame (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}), who is looking for his third win in a row, will be ridden by Matthew Cameron, who picked the course and distance Oct. 22 Listed Zacinto Canterbury S. victor over the son of Fastnet Rock.

Citing Hall of Fame's ability to race on the speed, Cameron, who won for Te Akau in last year's edition aboard Xtravagant, told www.nzracing.co.nz, “They both worked really well and it probably came down to ringcraft. Hall of Fame can race on the pace and take bad luck out of the equation. It's not a big field and the race might become quite tactical. It could be leader dominated and Mongolian Falcon, Ugo Foscolo and my horse are all likely to run on the pace and kick really well.”

Stephen Marsh trainee Ugo Foscolo (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) sustained his lone defeat when reporting home sixth two back in the aforementioned Sacred Falls Hawkes Bay Guineas Oct. 1, but he turned the tables on Mongolian Falcon and Wyndspelle to return to winning ways when claiming the seven-furlong G2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial S. at Te Rapa Oct.24.

An intriguing addition to the Riccarton Classic is Cha Siu Bao (Aus) (Smart Missile {Aus}), who tests the waters at stakes-level for the first time after taking out a Rating 65 Benchmark handicap going 1400 metres at Ashburton Oct. 15.

“Both of his wins have been encouraging and he is a bit of the unknown horse in the race, but he warrants his position in the field and one thing we do know is that he will stay the 1600 metres,” said co-trainer Andrew Scott of Cha Siu Bao, who trains the bay with Lance O'Sullivan. “Certainly on his dam's side it suggests that the trip will be no problem. Since his Ashburton run he has improved, which he obviously needed to do to be competitive in what looks to be an even field. Lance [O'Sullivan] went down to the South Island to watch him gallop on Tuesday and he was very happy with him.”