Well-related 2YO a bright longer-term prospect

Lord Valentine has inherited his share of the family ability, but is likely to need more time for it to become apparent.

The son of Rip Van Winkle will improve with the experience of his first race day outing at Te Aroha on Sunday in the Jadran Basketball Team 1000m, although breeder, owner and trainer Darrell Hollinshead isn’t ruling anything out.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he won, if he did everything right, but he doesn’t know a lot at this stage,” he said.

“He’s very green, probably the greenest horse we’ve lined up. He should get through the ground and we thought we’d give him a run rather than go back to the trials.” Lord Valentine finished runner-up in his sole trial appearance at Te Awamutu last month.

“He got back to last and then came around them,” Hollinshead said.

“He still hasn’t been among other horses and I think we’ll have a lot of fun with him later on. “The family don’t usually get going until they’re late three-year-olds, apart from Te Akau Shark.”

Close relation Te Akau Shark won his first two starts before finishing fourth in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

Lord Valentine is out of Prickley Princess, the four-time winner being a half-sister to the Group 1 Easter Handicap (1600m) winner Ponderosa Miss whose brother Ecuador is a multiple Australian stakes winner and Group 1 placegetter.

Another name in the pedigree the Hollinshead family enjoyed success with was the Group 2 Waikato Gold Cup (2400m) winner Bak Da Chief and his stakes-performed dam Havitbak.

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