Top mare Valley Girl retired
Equine glamour girl Valley Girl has been retired from the racetrack.
The Mastercraftsman mare burst to prominence with her surprise Group I win in last summer’s Group I Herbie Dyke Stakes.
Owned by Cambridge’s Hawkins family and trained at Ruakaka by Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs, she ran second in the Group I Vinery Stakes at Randwick in the autumn.
A fresh-up sprint win at Ruakaka a few weeks ago installed her as second favourite to Kawi in Saturday’s Group I Makfi Challenge Stakes. But she ran disappointingly finishing near the tail of the field.
‘‘There had to be something going on,’’ Logan said on Monday morning.
A scintigraphy (bone scan) later in the day confirmed a stress fracture of the radius bone (between the knee and shoulder).
‘‘Unfortunately we have to retire her,’’ said Des Hawkins. ‘‘But we are lucky to have a valuable broodmare.’’
A magnificent specimen, Valley Girl will be a great producer if her progeny match her looks and pedigree.
‘‘It’s not something we thought we would have to worry about this spring,’’ Hawkins said. ‘‘But my guess is she will go to Australia for her first mating.’’
She won four of her 11 starts and nearly $400,000.
Meanwhile, Kawi’s price for New Zealand’s second Group I race of the season illustrates his domi- nance of the market.
The Allan Sharrock-trained gelding justified big bets with a dominant win in Saturday’s Makfi Challenge Stakes (1400m) the first leg of the Hawke’s Bay triple crown.
Sharrock intends to have the TAB bookies $2.20 fixed odds favourite at Hastings for the Windsor Park Plate (1600m) on September 17 before a possible Australian campaign.
The Makfi build-up wasn’t plain sailing for the New Plymouth trainer. He became aware last summer that a respiratory issue was developing and opted to end Kawi’s campaign and take remedial steps.
With that problem under control Sharrock suffered a further setback when Kawi gave his leg a knock forcing him to scratch from the Foxbridge Plate.
‘‘But I knew a week before the Makfi that he was right,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t think I’ve ever gone into a Group I race as confident.
‘‘People close to the stable got a dollar. I like a bet and it was a gratifying result. We will be back for the second day [Windsor Park Plate],’’ he said.
Sharrock has yet to confirm a programme beyond that despite doing some work on Melbourne races.
The 2000m A$1.5 million Mackinnon Stakes is a possibility.
‘‘I’ll play it by ear, I need to scratch my head and work out what to do. Is he a 2000m horse or a sprinter/miler?
‘‘He will run in the Windsor and we will work out what to do after that.’’
There is also a chance he will be back at Hastings for the third leg of the Hastings treble, the $250,000 Livamol Classic over 2000m in which he is a $12 quote.
Another possibility is a million dollar race in Perth on December 5.
Logan was happy with the run of Hasselhoof in the Makfi and feels the Windsor Park and the Livamol Classic will suit him better.