2YO Group I Fastnet Rock Winner to Stand at Raheen

Media Release - Monday May 28

In a major coup for the Queensland breeding industry, Raheen Stud has secured exciting Fastnet Rock colt, Heroic Valour.

Heroic ValourThe only Group One-winning 2YO by Fastnet Rock at stud in Australia, Heroic Valour was an outstanding performer who won the Group One ARC Diamond Stakes in lightning fast time and would also ran third in the Group One NZ Two Thousand Guineas.

Indeed, the well related Heroic Valour was unbeaten as a 2YO, capturing the Listed Matamata Slipper leading into the Group One Diamond.

Consistently racing against the elite, Heroic Valour would compete 16 times at black type level from only 19 starts, producing four wins and a further 12 top four finishes.

Racing out of New Zealand's all-powerful Te Akau Racing stable, Heroic Valour would campaign in Australia too, running a lip second to multiple Group Two winner, Savanna Amour, in the Group Three Gold Coast Guineas.

Aside from being by a champion sire and sire of sires in Fastnet Rock (137 stakes winners), Heroic Valour is from the prolific Nassipour mare, Myrrh, and a half-brother to Group One Doncaster Handicap winner, Triple Honour (7 wins of $2.2 million).

Bred and raised at Coolmore Stud, Heroic Valour would be sold at the 2015 New Zealand Premier Yearling Sale where he was eventually knocked down to Te Akau's David Ellis for NZ$400,000.

Heroic Valour as a yearlingLeading bloodstock agent and Coolmore consultant, James Bester, remembers Heroic Valour well, particularly for his "never-say-die attitude".

"He was a very nice yearling – good bodied, plenty of size, scope and strength, with a great action," Bester enthused. "They were all attributes which came to the fore as a racehorse … he always set out after them with a real mission. A very gutsy galloper and he should do very well at Raheen Stud."

Advertisement

Ensuring his availability to all breeders, Heroic Valour will stand at an introductory fee of $7,700 inc. GST.

"All of us at Raheen Stud are really excited at the prospect of standing Heroic Valour," Raheen Stud's manager, Basil Nolan Jnr, points out.

"We believe he is very competitively priced at $7,700, particularly as he is a Group One winning, unbeaten 2YO who trained on at three, along with being a well related son of Fastnet Rock who already has the runs on the board as a sire of sires through his sons Foxwedge, Hinchinbrook, Your Song and Smart Missile.

"Heroic Valour should really capture the imagination of not only Queensland breeders, but broodmare owners throughout Australia and some lifetime breeding rights will be made available in the horse."

For further enquiries, please phone Basil Nolan Jnr on 0407 162 296.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 1
Here is the full list of 49 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Milan Park Experience Highs and Lows
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
Blueblood Fillies From $3million Mares
Tom Magnier has been notable for his purchase of elite race fillies and broodmares in recent years to enhance the stellar Coolmore broodmare band and two of his $3million plus mare purchases have produced stunning fillies this spring.
New SW Wrote - Fast Network Wins G3 National Day Cup
Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million Gr.3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday when his stable star Fast Network, a New Zealand bred son of Wrote, blitzed a strong field under Alexis Badel.
King’s Legacy Filly Salutes for Yulong
The first stakes-winner for her sire King’s Legacy when winning the Group III SAJC David Coles AM Stakes (1200m) last season, Steel Trap was subsequently purchased by Yulong privately and she posted her first win in their colours at Sandown on Wednesday.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Caulfield
Three barrier trials at Caulfield on Thursday morning produced heat winners for first season sires Wild Ruler and Profiteer with the quickest winner being Free Flying, the half-sister by Snitzel to brilliant Group winning mare Learning to Fly.
NZ Derby Hero Willydoit Primed for Epsom
Last season’s New Zealand Derby hero Willydoit will step back into the spotlight on Saturday when he contests the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick for trainer Ciaron Maher, with jockey Tommy Berry bullish the horse is ready to make his mark over the famous mile.
Hellbent Winner Impresses at Sha Tin
Astute trainer Mark Newnham paid $425,000 at the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale to secure a promising two year-old by Hellbent and Invincible Ibis delivered on that promise when scoring a last to first win at Sha Tin on Wednesday.
Melody Belle Daughter Set for Long Awaited Debut
It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song, a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle, makes her debut.
Generation Foals Built for Speed
Victorian farm Lovatsville offer a diverse stallion roster for this spring geared to satisfy a wide spectrum of breeder ambitions and if explosive Aussie speed is your thing then Snitzel stallion Generation will fit the bill.