Tweenhills-bred Valiant King wins Group race in Australia

Valiant King carried the Tweenhills flag high on the international stage on Saturday when causing a 60/1 shock in the Gr.3 Bart Cummings Stakes at Flemington. 

Valiant King was born, raised and grazed at Tweenhills. The son of Roaring Lion and Candy ride mare Assembly carried the colours of Qatar Racing in his 7 races in Europe for Joseph O’Brien, winning a maiden at Navan and finishing runner-up in both the King George V Stakes (Handicap) at Royal Ascot and Gr.3 Ballyroan Stakes at Naas. 

Valiant King landed his first win in Australia in the Gr.3 Bart Cummings for Chris Waller, showing an excellent late change of gear to win by 2¾ lengths under Jye McNeil. He carries the colours of Aziz (Ozzie) Kheir but remains part-owned by Qatar Racing. 

The victory secured Valiant King a spot in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup at the track on November 4. 

Chris Waller's representative Charlie Duckworth told the press that Valiant King had been bought into by his Australian owners to win last year’s Melbourne Cup but could finish only 13^th of 23. 

"We were really unlucky to miss the Sydney Cup in the autumn when he had a minor foot issue leading into it and we just thought he was primed and ready to go," Duckworth said.

"But hey, it will be much better to win a Melbourne Cup than a Sydney Cup."

Valiant King may well be joined in the Melbourne Cup by another horse born and raised at Tweenhills in Buckaroo, who went off favourite for last year’s race and shaped better than the bare result in 9^th.