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By John Curtis

Late starter Valilee ($2.60 favourite on TAB) created the right impression when he trounced his rivals on debut at his home track at Gosford last month nearing the end of his four-year-old season.

The now five-year-old son of Cox Plate winner Adelaide had overcome serious issues to even make it to the racetrack, and his trainer Jake Hull says it will be a much different test when he takes him to Hawkesbury on Tuesday attempting to double up in the XXXX Gold Class 1 Handicap (1100m).

The flashy Valilee (Mitchell Bell) bolts in at Gosford. Image by Bradley Photographers

Mitchell Bell rode Valilee in his four-length plus romp in a Provincial Maiden Plate (1000m) on July 19, and partners him again.

“I had him in at Wyong yesterday week in a Class 1 Handicap (1100m) and was pretty confident, but the meeting didn’t go ahead because of the wet weather,” Hull said.

“The Hawkesbury race looks tougher with a number of last start winners opposing our horse.

“If Valilee can win again, we will know we have a serious horse and probably give him a let-up.

“Even though he is five, this is his first serious racing preparation and he’s still learning.

“I’m happy with him. Even though we missed the Wyong race, the extra week or so should be to our benefit.”

Former jockey Hull is making a splendid fist of his training career, evidenced by the fact he produced the unraced Valilee to win easily when the gelding was making a belated beginning to his racing career.

Purchased for $80,000 as a 2022 Inglis Classic yearling by Hull’s major client, John O’Connor’s Feale Park Racing, there was a real possibility Valilee would never get to face the starter at all.

He suffered a stress fracture as a two-year-old, and then fractured his skull in an incident on the water walker.

That wasn’t the end of the gelding’s woes. When Hull finally got Valilee going, he discovered he was a Grade 4 “roarer”, and needed throat surgery to correct the breathing problem.

Aware Valilee had ability, he persevered – and the brilliant Gosford debut was a nice reward for both he and his owner’s patience.

Hull has prepared 33 winners to date, and Valilee gives him the chance to clinch his first Hawkesbury success. He has had only five starts there for one placing (Rathoran in a Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1600m in May).

Hawkesbury trainer Marc Chevalier didn’t prepare the tough mare The Iron Maiden for any of her 126 career starts.

But he knows enough about her wet track potential to hope that rubs off onto her first foal and thus give him a good start to the new season at his home track tomorrow.

Chevalier accepted with The Iron Star in both the St Johns Park Bowling Club Class 1 Handicap (1500m) and Pioneer Services Maiden Plate over the same distance.

He will wait until close to the 7.30am scratching deadline in case there are ample scratchings in the Maiden before making a final decision, but is favoring tackling the Class 1 even though his four-year-old is yet to win in five starts.

“The Class 1 doesn’t look the strongest race, and it’s a smaller field,” Chevalier said this morning. “And I am putting blinkers on The Iron Star.

“Even though he is now four years of age, he is still a bit raw and not yet mentally there.

“The Iron Star raced outside the leader last time (in a 1500m Maiden Plate at Hawkesbury’s final meeting of last season on July 20) and hit the front after straightening, but lost some momentum when the favorite ((Tequisoda) and eventual winner came alongside him.

“It’s not that he isn’t trying, but needs to focus and hopefully the addition of blinkers will help him do that.

“I was able to gallop him on the course proper last Tuesday with blinkers on, and he was quite sharp over the last 300-400m.”

The Iron Maiden won 12 races and, whilst adept on good ground, she also had a particular liking for wet tracks, notching seven on slow and heavy tracks.

Her son so far has only once encountered heavy ground when runner-up in a 1300m Provincial Maiden at Goulburn on May 22.

Hawkesbury course manager Digby Nuthall this morning posted a Heavy 8 rating, with the rail 5m out from the 1100m to 450m, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit.

“We have had 14mm of rain in the last seven days, and only 1mm in the last 24 hours to 8 o’clock this morning,” Nuthall said.

“We will start off with a Heavy 8 and see how we go, but the meeting is not in any doubt as fortunately we haven’t had anywhere near the same amount of rain as coastal areas.”

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Hawkesbury here