Yarradale Stud manager Davy Hanratty predicted a pampered life for Valour Road in retirement and there’s been no reason to doubt it after his first week back home in Gidgegannup.

The 9yo chestnut had bowed out with the beaten division in the G3 Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot earlier this month after a career highlighted by 9 black-type victories to Group 2 level in Perth and Adelaide.

Valour Road (Frost Giant) was bred and sold by Yarradale for $60,000 at the 2017 Perth Magic Millions to a large syndicate managed by Des Carvell.  He banked over $1.82 million and the Yarradale team have him spruced up for the stream of visitors in coming weeks.

While one star’s career winds down there’s bound to be more coming through at the 2025 Perth Magic Millions. Yarradale has 16 yearlings coming down to the Swan Valley Sale starting with the Playing God – Copper Queen filly (Lot 20) in the first hour of trade on Thursday, 20 February.

Another Playing God expected to be popular on Day 1 is the filly from Amalfi Lass (Lot 174).  Yarradale had purchased a 25% share in the Champion WA stallion before he took off at Darling View Thoroughbreds.

“She’s gorgeous and will parade a very attractive filly,” Hanratty said.  “Her dam is one of our homebred mares by War Chant (USA) and she won over a mile at Ascot.”

Hanratty also reports Yarradale’s promising 3yo filly Ron’s Finalflutter (Written Tycoon) will be set for a classic autumn campaign with trainer Dan Morton.  She won a Bunbury maiden first-up this season prior to filling black-type placings at Ascot in the LR Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) and G3 Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m).

“She’s spelling here now and Dan thinks she can develop into an Oaks filly.”  The G3 WA Oaks (2400m) worth $250,000 is scheduled for April 5 at Ascot.

Morton also prepared Yarradale-bred 3yo filly Cashel Palace (Street Boss) to a Listed victory in last month’s Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic (1400m).  She came from clouds that day and will furnish into a classic filly later this season.

Cashel Palace is the first foal of Yarradale’s homebred mare Burgoyne (War Chant) and her second is a Brazen Beau 2yo colt with Grant and Alana Williams that cost $375,000 at this year’s Perth Magic Millions.

There’s a third Yarradale-bred 3yo filly waiting in the wings named Star Supreme (Playing God).  She won a Belmont barrier trial in August and was backed into a $2.70 favourite on debut at Ascot later that month before pulling up shin-sore in the race won by The Top Bar (Sessions).

Neville Parnham trains Star Supreme for a syndicate that includes Yarradale and long-standing stable clients Santo Guagliardo, Bob Pearson and Paul Cooke.  Her dam Even Astar (Kendel Star) won the LR Belgravia Stakes and LR Burgess Queen Stakes in 2010 before embarking on a successful stud career at Yarradale.

Her first foal Express Time (War Chant) won 11 races and earned minor black-type while banking $362,000 before drawing down the curtain in last year’s $200,000 The Joey (1200m).  Her first foal is an early-season filly by Playing God.

Valour Road receives a bath with (L-R) Rachel McMullen, Natalie Orlando, Brige Sweeney, Kelsey Nesbitt and Roisin Horan and a welcome-home kiss from Shannon Hanratty