Written by Jessica Owers
Cover image courtesy of Race Images
The 3-year-old filly Val Di Zoldo (NZ) gave her sire, the Inglewood Stud-based War Decree (USA), his first stakes winner on Wednesday with her victory in the G2 Lowland S. at Awapuni.
It proved a tight finish in the 2100-metre contest, with the Tony Pike-trained Val Di Zoldo just getting the better of the highly fancied Contagious (NZ) (Proisir), while Pennyweka (NZ), a daughter of Satono Aladdin (Jpn), was third.
It proved a day of results in the end, with Val Di Zoldo’s rider, Michael McNab, posting his 100th winner for the season aboard the filly, and Val Di Zoldo also stamped herself a serious contender for the G1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 18.
The filly came into her race on Wednesday off a last-start victory at Taupo.
Earlier in the season, she was twice fourth to Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in Group company and, as a 2-year-old, she was second in the G3 Taranaki 2YO Classic. Her Lowland S. appearance was expected to be competitive, and that was exactly what it proved to be as she knuckled down in the straight for a tenacious win.
Val Di Zoldo brought her record up to two consecutive wins in 11 starts, with four seconds and a third for earnings of NZ$125,640. She is raced by Bruce Sherwin and Rob De Courcy, who plucked her out of the Valachi Downs Dispersal catalogue last year for NZ$285,000.
Val Di Zoldo (NZ) as a 2-year-old | Image courtesy of Gavelhouse Plus
For trainer Tony Pike, it wasn’t his first drink from the Lowland S. well, having won the race in the past with good fillies. However, Val Di Zoldo was a satisfying result on Wednesday as she’d been knocking on the door for a while.
“She was heading the right way,” Pike told TDN AusNZ. “She’s been stakes-placed against some of the better fillies here in New Zealand earlier in the season, and probably the time was about right with her maturing as she gets into the autumn.
“We thought she’d run well today (Wednesday), and obviously coming off her maiden win last time out it was a step-up in class. But she’s done it well and, progressing towards the Oaks, she’ll improve again off today’s (Wednesday's) run.”
“She (Val Di Zoldo) was heading the right way. She’s been stakes-placed against some of the better fillies here in New Zealand earlier in the season, and probably the time was about right...” - Tony Pike
With just over a fortnight to the Oaks, Val Di Zoldo won’t run again. Pike is confident that the filly’s good trot through two unbeaten runs will stand her well as she’s been up and racing since October.
“She’s a very relaxed filly and easy to deal with around the stables, and that’s probably a big factor for her, her temperament,” he said. “She’ll have a pretty quiet week now. She’s rock-hard fit and we’ll head to the Oaks in two-and-a-half weeks’ time.”
Valachi graduate
Val Di Zolda was a homebred for Kevin Hickman’s Valachi Downs, that operation enduring a complete dispersal in the winter of 2022.
Through five individual catalogues, four of which were hosted online by Gavelhouse Plus, Valachi’s racing and breeding stock were dispersed, with Val Di Zoldo one of the better-selling fillies, going to Sherwin and De Courcy for NZ$285,000 among the tried stock.
“When Valachi was wound up, she was part of the online tried-horse sale, along with the broodmares,” Pike said. “A couple of clients of mine picked her out from her 2-year-old form and they paid a bit of money for her, so it was a great result for them to get the Group 2 result.”
“A couple of clients of mine picked her out from her (Val Di Zoldo's) 2-year-old form and they paid a bit of money (NZ$285,000) for her, so it was a great result for them to get the Group 2 result.” - Tony Pike
The Valachi Downs Dispersal was one of the headline events in New Zealand last year. It featured the likes of Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and No Compromise (NZ) (Pins), and Val Di Zoldo was a six-figure sale off her race record.
She is the second foal from her dam, Civetta (NZ) (Thorn Park), and this is the family of the Listed New Zealand St Leger winner Iffwedance (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}).
Further along, the triple Group 1 winner Tall Poppy (NZ) (Kaapstad {NZ}) appears, who was subsequently the dam of the dual stakes-winner All In Vogue (NZ) (Pins).
Debut stakes-success for War Decree
For the 9-year-old War Decree at Inglewood Stud in North Canterbury, Val Di Zoldo was a debut stakes winner. The son of War Front (USA) has covered books in New Zealand since 2018, siring 190 live foals to date.
His oldest progeny to the track are 3-year-olds, and in two crops to the track he has produced 27 runners, of which 20 have been in New Zealand and seven in Australia. Of these 27, the stallion has sired 11 winners and Val Di Zoldo, alongside the 3-year-old filly Miss Take (NZ), are his sole stakes performers.
War Decree (USA) | Standing at Inglewood Stud
War Decree is the only stallion standing at Inglewood Stud for the Wigley family, making it a very good day for them. His three-time winning career included the G2 Vintage S. at Goodwood as a juvenile and the G3 Dundalk Diamond S. at three.
The stallion is standing at a fee of NZ$4500 (plus GST) with a live foal guarantee, and his 2022 book of mares, his fifth in total, numbered 46.
