Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Prominent owner Albert Walmsley has no regrets about spending $52,000 at the 2018 APG yearling sale in Melbourne for a son of American sire Rock N Roll Heaven.
He named him Valentines Brook, who is racing in magnificent style for Ravenswood trainer Jocelyn Young and 21-year-old reinsman Kyle Symington.
Valentines Brook boosted his record to 66 starts for 15 wins and 24 placings for stakes of $163,275 when Symington drove him to a runaway victory in the 1730m Barbagallo Lamborghini Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
In a remarkable patch of form Valentines Brook’s past nine starts have produced five second placings followed by four wins in a row.
He was the $2.20 second favourite from barrier No. 2 in Friday night’s event in which the polemarker Ima Fivestar General was the $1.60 favourite.
Fivestar General set the pace, but was put under plenty of pressure from $34 outsider Make It Happen, who overraced badly in the breeze. The opening quarters whizzed by in 28sec. and 28.2sec. and with 500m to travel Symington was able to ease Valentines Brook off the pegs.
Valentines Brook then burst to the front at the 300m and raced away to win by three and a half lengths from Ima Fivestar General, rating a smart 1.53.3, with final 400m sections of 29.2sec. and 28.4sec.
Symington, who has driven Valentines Brook only eight times for four wins and four seconds, said: “Jocelyn has Valentines Brook flying. All his recent runs have been impressive, especially the past four, and he would be out of place in major races like the Pinjarra Cup.
“One of his ear plugs was dislodged just after release point tonight, and I didn’t pull the other one. And he won easily.”
Valentines Brook is the fifth foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Cyclone Betty, who had 63 starts for nine wins, 18 placings and stakes of $68,186. Cyclone Betty has proved to be a wonderful brood mare, having produced the brilliant Our Waikiki Beach (171 starts for 41 wins, 46 placings and $1,079,661) and Bechers Brook (121 starts for 25 wins, 43 placings and $376,549).