Cornerstone Stud’s good looking Fastnet Rock stallion Valentia is off the mark with his first winner in Land of Valens, who featured recently in a Juvenile Trial Watch story on Breednet.
Read his Trial Watch story here.
The Gerald Ryan trained colt was a hot favourite to make a winning debut at Bathurst on Thursday in the $21,500 Central West Gold Nugget for two year-olds and won as the market suggested.
Allowed to settle by Jay Ford, Land of Valens was the widest runner turning fr home and powered away to win by two lengths eased down.
Land of Valens was a $130,000 Magic Millions purchase for his trainer from the Coolmore draft and was a successful pinhook having been bought for $40,000 by Colm Santry Bloodstock from the Cornerstone Stud draft at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Bred by Cornerstone Stud, Land of Valens is a half-brother to two winners from Group III winner A Country Girl and is the most expensive yearling from the first crop of his sire.
Winner of the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes, Valentia has had just five runners so far with his best result outside of Land of Valens coming from classy filly Fayerra trained by Anthony Cummings.
It seems cruel that she has not actually won a race given she was third in the Listed ATC Fernhill Mile as well as earning fourth placings in the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes, Group II ATC Reisling Stakes and Group II ATC Silver Slipper.
Valentia stands at a fee of $5,500 this spring.
