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Valentia Turns Heads at Magic Millions

Tara Madgwick - Thursday May 31
The emergence of quality Fastnet Rock sire sons such as Hinchinbrook, Foxwedge, Smart Missile and Your Song has not been lost on Sam Hayes and his team at Cornerstone Stud, who are looking to build on that success with their top class young sire Valentia.

ValentiaBought from the Magic Millions for $1.35 million by Coolmore, Valentia was a fast and precocious two year-old that won the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes for the Gai Waterhouse stable.

In a limited career at three, Valentia was twice Group placed before retiring due to injury with Louis Le Metayer of Astute Bloodstock brokering a deal to stand him at Cornerstone Stud.

Cornerstone Stud had been largely standing shuttle sires and the lure of such a good looking, well bred individual by one of the best stallions in the world proved irresistible.

Valentia proved a popular choice with South Australian broodmare owners covering 91 mares in his first season and those weanlings are certainly making their presence felt!

The progeny of first season sires always attract attention at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale and Valentia's two colts offered by Cornerstone Stud were turning heads and earned him a slot in the Top 10 First Season Sires.


"We had been keeping an eye out for a precocious son of a stallion like Fastnet Rock so when Louis Le Metayer called us with Valentia the timing was perfect," said Sam Hayes.

"We had hoped that he would pass on his good looks and commercial appeal and that was apparent at the weanling sales. All the good judges were on them."

Cornerstone Stud sold a colt from well related young Lonhro mare Accuse for $55,000 to Victorian based Apulla Lodge and another colt from stakes-winner A Country Girl to Colm Santry Bloodstock for $40,000.

Valentia colt from Accuse





Valentia colt from A Country Girl


Valentia will be represented at the upcoming Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale with six entries, click here to see them.

Valentia stands at a fee of $7,700 at Cornerstone Stud in 2018.


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