Plans to be Decided on Thursday

The Informant reports:

The connections of Diamond Stakes winner Heroic Valour will make a decision later this week on whether the son of Fastnet Rock attempts a Group One double in the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes at Awapuni on April 2.

Heroic Valour extended his unbeaten career record to three out of three with a top-drawer performance at Ellerslie on Saturday. Co-trainer Stephen Autridge told www.theinformant.co.nz this morning that the colt had come through the race outstandingly well.

“It was a great win,” Autridge said. “Jonathan Riddell gave him the perfect ride, which was a big help. The horse has plenty of ability and is still learning, which is pretty exciting.

“He's come through the race really well. He was just leaving a few little bits of his feed going into the race, but since the race he's been eating everything up. He's really well.”

Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, who bought Heroic Valour for $400,000 as a yearling, indicated on the Te Akau website this morning that the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes was “more than likely” to be the classy youngster's next assignment. Autridge said a firm decision will be made this Thursday.

“We're just going to go quiet for a few days and see how he's doing, and then Jamie (Richards, co-trainer) and I will meet with David Ellis on Thursday and make a decision,” he said.

“It'll be the same with Sassy 'N' Smart, who didn't have a lot of luck in finishing sixth in the Diamond Stakes. She looked like she was coming into it at the corner, I thought she was a big hope, but then she got a check and ended up out in the middle of nowhere. She still ran the third-fastest last 600 metres in the race, so it was a big effort from her too. She's spot on after the race and is really well.

“At this stage there's no reason why we can't carry on to Awapuni, but we'll just give it a few days and then have a look at them and decide what to do.”