Distance, distance and more distance is what trainer Liam Howley has been searching for with three-year-old Valiant Sun.
The longest race restricted to three-year-olds in Victoria will be run on Saturday, the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) at Flemington, with Valiant Sun taking up the challenge.
Valiant Sun will line up against 16 opponents and has drawn the second widest gate as he looks to win for the second time in eight starts.
“I’ve always looked at him like he was going to stay a long way,” Howley said.
“He’s lacked that turn of foot but he’s slowly developing a little bit of speed about him.
“He can run time, but he’s got to build through the gears and the whole way through, the Leger has been the main goal.
“If he had shown a bit more speed along the way, maybe he could have been a Derby horse, but I think in his past two runs at a mile-and-a-half, every bit of the trip is important.
“Caulfield last time, he drew well, but the track played against us, but I still thought he ran very well and the bigger track at Flemington should suit him.”
Valiant Sun resumed this campaign with a win over 1600m at Colac in February before rising to 2000m and finishing last at Pakenham.
Howley did not muck around and quickly stepped Valiant Sun up to 2400m, where he ran third at Bendigo against older horses before running fourth at Caulfield on April 11.
“I thought we’d step up quickly rather than go a mile, mile, 2000 metres,” Howley said.
“There weren’t enough options and he’s a natural stayer, so I thought let’s get him out to his comfort zone, and every time we’ve raised the bar, he’s stepped up.”
Howley said race shape had counted against Valiant Sun and is hoping for a solidly run 2800m at Flemington on the roomier circuit.
He said should Valiant Sun run well on Saturday there is the possibility the gelding could be Adelaide bound for the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville the following week.
“He’ll be entered and if he happened to win, we would consider it,” Howley said.
“He could be a horse that could quite easily back-up as we’d do nothing with him.
“He’s still quite dumb and doesn’t really know what day of the week it is, and the further the better with him.
“I’m looking forward to next year with him when he’s a bit more mature and those longer races are going to suit him.”
