Evergreen sprinter Valour Road has run his last race and will return home to Yarradale Stud on Wednesday.

Foaled at Yarradale in September 2015, Valour Road (Frost Giant) was beaten but not disgraced when he bowed out in the G3 Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday.  The 9yo gelding led them into the straight but was swamped late under visiting jockey Luke Currie.

“He will float up to the farm from Ascot tomorrow,” Yarradale manager Davy Hanratty said at the Gidgegannup property on Tuesday afternoon.  “And you can be sure he will be spoiled rotten in retirement.”

Valour Road retires after a 43-start career highlighted by 11 wins for prizemoney of $1,821,357 including Westspeed Bonuses of $93,600.  One of Perth’s most popular gallopers, he was raced by a large syndicate and they enjoyed a ride to remember with trainer Simon Miller.

They didn’t have to wait long, either.  Miller had him ready to fire after 2yo trial wins at Belmont and Lark Hill in January 2018 and he was the real deal on raceday with front-running victories in the RL Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at Pinjarra and G2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) at Ascot.

“He’s very good.  I just don’t know how good,” Miller claimed after the Karrakatta which clinched the Champion WA 2YO Award.

That was answered time after time starting as a 3yo when he travelled to Adelaide for an away victory the G2 Euclase Stakes (1200m) before returning home to win the LR Harry Bolton Sprint (1200m) at Belmont.

He went on to bag black-type year after year in the LR Miss Andretti Stakes (1200) at four, G3 Prince of Wales Stakes (1200m) & G3 Hyperion Stakes (1600m) at five and G3 Allan Scahill Stakes (1400m) at six before niggling injuries kept him sidelined at seven.

Retirement was a real possibility before the well-built chestnut resurrected a remarkable career with comeback victories in the LR Idyllic Prince Stakes (1300m) and G2 Lee-Steere Stakes (1400m) at eight.

“Now he’s come full circle,” Hanratty said.  “He was a standout yearling and Yarradale retained a share.  We sent him down to the 2017 Magic Millions and he made $60,000 when there wasn’t as much money around as there is today. He’s been a favourite with the whole team all the way through and everyone will be out to give him a big welcome home.”

Smiles all round as Valour Road and Chloe Azzopardi return to scale with some of his jubilant part-owners after winning the 2020 Prince Of Wales Stakes / Photo: Western Racepix