Debut winner Valdhez will have a late-season examination of his potential on Saturday after connections bypassed a midweek assignment to start him at Rosehill.
The three-year-old impressed on debut at Canterbury last month and was scratched from Wednesday’s city meeting to be kept for the Perfection Fresh Handicap (1350m).
The High Chaparral gelding lines up against promising types such as Testarhythm, Beltane and Coup Ay Tee but trainer Kim Waugh has held Valdhez in high regard ever since he stepped into her stable.
“He’s a nice horse and has always shown a lot but has taken a little while through immaturity so that’s why he’s only just started racing,” Waugh said.
“It’s a strong race and we’ll get a good guide on how he measures up with them.”
Valdhez went a long way to confirming Waugh’s high opinion of him when he took a narrow run along the inside and raced to victory over 1100m at Canterbury on June 8.
“It was definitely nice to see him come out and win, especially because we thought he was a nice horse very early on as a two-year-old and now he’s nearly four,” Waugh said.
“All that patience and time paid off when he won his first race.”
The trainer is confident Valdhez will get over further in time and hopes the gelding can boost his prizemoney to open up options later in the year.
“It would be nice if he could end up a 2000-metre horse,” Waugh said.
“He’s got a great turn of foot, so if he can get further with that turn of foot he’s got then he’ll be a nice horse.”
Valdhez carries the same colours as Mahtoum who Waugh trained throughout his career which included victory in the 2005 Sydney Cup.
One of Waugh’s main clients, Rob Roulston, purchased Valdhez for $110,000 as a yearling in New Zealand in 2009.
“He bought him for nearly the same group of guys that owned Mahtoum,” Waugh said.
“They’re a good bunch of guys and we’re in this one with a little share as well which is good.”
Mahtoum won seven of his 41 starts including the Sydney Cup, an O’Shea Stakes and a Manion Cup.
“He raced competitively until he was seven and won over $1 million. We’ll be happy to do that again,” Waugh said.
AAP TURF
