VALIANT WARRIOR confirmed his status as one of Tasmania’s best three-year-old sprinters when he scored an emphatic win in the PFD Food Services 3YO Classic over 1200 metres at The TOTE Racing Centre in Launceston today.
Valiant Warrior resumed from a short freshen-up with a fourth in the 3YO Magic Millions in Launceston two weeks earlier carrying top weight of 59 kg after which trainer Adam Trinder blamed himself for the gelding’s failure.
“I had him too pretty for that race because I took things too lightly but I poured the work back into him going into this race and today we saw the real Valiant Warrior,” Trinder said.
Connections advised stewards that the horse would be ridden off the speed with the hope of taking a trail but for the first 400 metres he shared the lead with three others before Lampo crossed to the front to give him a trail while the favourite Geegees Doublejay raced outside of the leader to the home turn.
Geegees Doublejay sped clear at the top of the home straight and was being hailed the winner but when jockey Anthony Darmanin called on Valiant Warrior for the supreme effort the gelded son of West Quest knuckled down to his task and went on to defeat outsider Secrets She Has with Geegees Doublejay a close-up third.
Listen to what trainer Adam Trinder and owner Wayne Roser had to say about Valiant Warrior’s win.
Related information
- Watch the 3YO Classic (R7) race replay.
- Get the inside line with this week’s Punters Dashboard – Racing for Smart Punters.