Te Akau Colts Begin Derby Preparation

The Informant writes:

Classy three-year-olds Heroic Valour (main picture) and Hall Of Fame (pictured below) are returning from a short break and have the $1 million Gr. 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie in March squarely in their sights.

The stablemates were spelled following the Gr. 1 Sothys New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton at the beginning of this month, in which Heroic Valour finished third behind Ugo Foscolo and Savile Row. Hall Of Fame was 10th.

“Heroic Valour's been back in work for a couple of weeks now and Hall Of Fame is getting back into it this week,” co-trainer Stephen Autridge said. “We're happy with both of them but they're both about six weeks away from a return to racing.

“We'll aim them at all of the good three-year-old races coming up. They'll both be classified as Derby horses and we'll see how far they can go.”

Heroic Valour is currently on the third line of Derby favouritism at $12, with Hall Of Fame at $18.

Fastnet Rock colt Heroic Valour, a half-brother to Doncaster Handicap winner Triple Honour, was bought by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis for $400,000 at the 2015 Premier Sale at Karaka.

He has had seven starts for four wins and three placings, winning the Gr. 1 Diamond Stakes, the Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper and the Listed Northland Breeders' Stakes.

His placings have been behind Mongolian Falcon in the Gr. 2 Hawke's Bay Guineas, behind subsequent 1000 Guineas heroine La Diosa in the Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes and behind Ugo Foscolo in the 2000 Guineas.

Savabeel colt Hall Of Fame, a $230,000 purchase by David Ellis at the Ready to Run Sale, has had seven starts for three wins and two placings. Prior to the 2000 Guineas he picked up back-to-back victories at Riccarton by a combined margin of 8.3 lengths, including an impressive five-length romp in the Listed Zacinto Stakes.