Injury has forced the premature retirement of
the leading mare Valley Girl, who will be sent to an Australian-based stallion
in the spring.
Co-trainer Donna Logan ordered a raft of veterinary tests following the four-year-old's
failure in Saturday's Gr.1 Makfi Challenge Stakes at Hastings with connections
worst fears subsequently realised.
"She hung very badly in the Makfi and she's never done that in her life," she
said.
"We've found she's got a stress fracture of the radial bone, which is the bone
between the knee and the shoulder.
"Obviously that will heal, but we're not prepared to risk her so she has been
retired."
Valley Girl won four of her 11 starts, including last season's defeat of the
older horses in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes and a placing in the Gr.2 Eight
Carat Classic.
Following her fifth placing in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby, she crossed the
Tasman and finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes and sixth in the
Gr.1 Australian Oaks.
Valley Girl looked set for a lucrative spring campaign following her impressive
open handicap sprint victory when resuming on her home track earlier this
month.
"It's a great shame as she was untapped and after that Ruakaka win we though
gee, we've got some ammunition this year," said Logan, who trained Valley Girl
with Chris Gibbs.
"However, at least she is okay and she'll go on to breed some beautiful babies.
She was very lightly-raced so she's got plenty to give to her foals."
By Mastercraftsman out of the Group Three-winning Bianconi mare Leigh Valley,
Valley Girl is owned by her Cambridge breeders, the Hawkins family of Wentwood
Grange.
"Donna and Chris have done a great job with her and we can't thank them
enough," stud manager Dean Hawkins said.
"At least she's safe and now we're looking forward to her breeding career.
She'll go to a stallion in Australia, but which stallion that is we don't know
yet." – NZ Racing Desk.