Inglis Classic Sale – Lomar Park presents first yearlings by Valixir

The first Valixir yearlings are catalogued for the 2010 majors and Lomar Park’s Fred Peisah is brimming with confidence ahead of the Inglis Classic Sale on January 24 and 25.

Peisah says there are similarities between Valixir and Le Cordonnier who was foundation stallion at Lomar Park in the late 1960s.

Le Cordonnier (Saint Crespin) was a Listed winner of the Acomb Stakes at York as a two year-old and trained on for further stakes wins over 2000m in France at three.

Valixir (Trempolino) started his career with juvenile wins at Maison-Laffitte and Deauville before developing into a G1 winner in England and France up to 1850m.

“Besides their style of racing, they also look alike,” Peisah explained.  “Solidly built without being heavy-topped in the Danzig – Danehill mould.”

Le Cordonnier was a Champion first-season sire in Australia and Peisah believes Valixir will also make his mark as a sire of two year-olds.  “He was trained by Andre Fabre for the Aga Khan and won his first two starts with an explosive turn of foot.  I was very impressed watching the tapes of those wins and it was obvious he also had a tremendous will to win.”

Valixir rounded out his juvenile season with a length second to subsequent Arc de Triomphe winner Bago in the Prix des Chenes-G3 at Longchamp.

Returning at three, Valixir won the Listed Prix Matchem at Maison-Laffitte and followed up with Group 1 placings in the Prix Lupin and Prix du Jockey Club.  He finished a close third in the Derby but couldn’t quite get 2400m.  Dropping back in distance, he rebounded to win the G2 Prix Eugene Adam (Maison-Laffitte) and Prix Neil (Longchamp).

Valixir peaked the following season when he was named the Champion European miler of his age group after Group 1 triumphs in the Prix d’Ispahan (defeated Elvstroem) and the Queen Anne Stakes at York (defeated Rakti and Starcraft).

Champion French jockey Christophe Soumillon produced a perfect ride on Valixir at York against Rakti who was coming off a five-length victory in the G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

Rakti tried to reproduce the tactics of the Newbury win but was reined in by Valixir who went on to win by a length and half.  “I followed Rakti and was waiting, waiting and waiting,” Soumillon said.  “Valixir received two or three bumps turning for home and he wanted to get going.  I was forced to release him too early but it turned out perfectly.”

The Aga Khan was also impressed.  “I think Christophe found himself in front a bit earlier than he expected.  Valixir has made vast improvement and the win didn’t surprise me.”

Valixir retired to Lomar Park in 2007 and, despite the drama of E.I., he covered 70 mares at a $17,000 (+ gst) service fee.  His Classic Sale draft kicks off with colts from Dawn Encounter (Lot 7) and Dazzling Dawn (Lot 8).

“The Dazzling Dawn is a powerfully built colt,” Peisah revealed.  “He’s a half-brother to Wembley who won the Inglis Challenge at Scone and this one will make a two year-old as well.”

Their dam was unraced but the second dam Dawn Regent (Archregent) was very smart.  “We had her up and running as a November 2yo,” Peisah recalled.  “We booked Larry Olsen and he thought she could win first-up at Canterbury.  But we ran into Clan O’Sullivan and only got beaten a half-length!”

The Valixir yearlings from Friendly Seas (Lot 67) and Palace Capers (Lot 209) both descend from Lomar Park’s legendary producer Social Smile.

Friendly Seas (Mister C) won three race up to 1900m in Sydney and her current 3yo is the top-class Perth sprinter Kid Choisir.  He’s won at Listed level in the Supremacy Stakes and Placid Ark Stakes at the last two Ascot summer carnivals.

Palace Capers (Archregent) was a Canterbury 2yo winner and her foals include the Arena winners Pleasure Ground and Prince Of Capers.  The latter is ready to win again after finishing a close third to Onthelookout and Sarkosy at Randwick on New Year’s Day.

Pleasure Ground was a Rosehill winner and she retired after running second to Ponte Piccolo in the Listed Keith Nolan Classic at Kembla.  Her first foal King Pulse could be one right out the box.  He claimed a Geelong maiden on debut in September and then won at Caulfield on Guineas Day.  Three weeks later he was beaten a whisker by Headway in the G1 Ascot Vale Stakes.

It was a meteoric rise by the Canny Lad gelding and if trainer Mike Moroney wasn’t on Cloud 9 after that effort, he certainly was later in the day when stablemate Monaco Consul won the Victoria Derby.

Another recent winner from the family is Rock The Moment (Rock Of Gibraltar) who was an odds-on winner at Morphettville on January 2 for trainer Mark Kavanagh and Slade Bloodstock.  She had earned black-type at two when a Listed winner of the Gold Sovereign Stakes in Tasmania.  The filly’s dam Moment’s Pleasure (Archregent) was a G2 winner of the STC Reisling Slipper Trial.

The last of the Valixirs from Lomar Park at the Classic Sale is the half-brother to the Rick Worthington trained stallion Whitefriars (Lot 412).

It’s hard to believe Whitefriars has only won twice in 12 starts.  Worthington set him for a debut win at Canberra in January 2008 and the big chestnut responded with a seven length victory.  As a three year-old, he didn’t salute but was placed in the G3 San Domenico and G2 Stan Fox during the spring carnival and in the Listed Strada Stakes and Darby Munro Stakes the following autumn.

Whitefriars resented being asked to settle in his races and was left a sitting shot more often than not but he notched an overdue win at Randwick in November.

Valixir’s Classic Sale yearlings will be available for inspection in Stable 2 (Row P) at Newmarket.