Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Valentines Brook is a little plain-looking pacer who is racing in superb form. But he is an extremely unfriendly horse.
“He is very arrogant, and he hates other horses,” said his trainer Jocelyn Young after his victory in the 2536m Milne Feeds Made in WA Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He chews all the lead ropes, and you can’t put him near anything. He has vacant stalls, one on either side of him in the birdcage — because he kicks out.”
Despite his unpleasant nature Valentines Brook is a wonderful pacer whose past 16 starts have produced six wins and eight seconds. He has had 29 starts for Young for seven wins, 13 seconds and two thirds which have boosted his career record to 73 starts for 16 wins, 27 placings and stakes of $205,617.
The Victorian-bred Valentines Brook, owned by Albert and Julie Walmsley, has been handled by outstanding 21-year-old reinsman Kyle Symington at his past 15 starts for six wins and seven placings.
Valentines Brook, the $1.30 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of seven on Friday night, settled down in last position while $7 chance Withoutthetuh setting the pace. Symington sent Valentines Brook forward with a three-wide burst after 200m and the six-year-old moved to the breeze after 900m when Bettorstartdreaming had assumed the role of pacemaker.
Valentines Brook got to the front with 300m to travel and he won by just over a half length from $18 chance Gran Chico, who ran on well after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position. The winner rated 1.57.1.
“I know he won well, and the time was good, but he didn’t win as well as I expected,” said Young. “He has had a lot of hard runs in this preparation, and we may look at giving him a bit of a freshen-up.”
Valentines Brook is bred to be a good winner. He is by the American stallion Rock N Roll Heaven and is out of the Bettors Delight mare Cyclone Betty, who raced 63 times for nine wins, 18 placings and stakes of $68,186.
Cyclone Betty is also the dam of super performers Our Waikiki Beach and Bechers Brook.
Our Waikiki Beach earned $1,079,661 from 41 wins and 46 placings from 171 starts, while Bechers Brook had 144 starts for 27 wins, 55 placings and $447,183. Twelve of Bechers Brook’s were in Western Australia where he finished a head second to King Of Swing in the WA Derby in April 2018. He then went to America where he won another 15 times.