The great unveiling

Vale Of York – the only first-season sire with an undefeated Group winner among his first two-year-olds

The progeny of Vale Of York have been on song all season, and the promising young sire now has 18 juvenile winners from his first crop, with three new winners fired home in the last week.

Jackville Go took his sire’s tally to 18 when triumphing in Rome on Friday on his second start.

Vale Of York’s list of successful progeny is headed by the leading Italian filly Fontanelice whose run of five consecutive victories include two successes at Group 3 level, most recently in the Premio Dormello in Milan last month.

Trainer Ken Condon is already looking ahead to next year with confidence that Harold Peto will soon become another Stakes performer for his sire. Following the victory of Harold Peto in a 17-runner maiden at Naas in October, the trainer told the press: “This is definitely a Stakes horse for next year; he’s very uncomplicated and very sound.” Harold Peto was the second leg of a cross-card double on the day for Vale Of York with Great Park also triumphing easily for his sire in a Newmarket nursery on the same afternoon, continuing a golden autumn for Vale Of York.

The stallion’s runners were quick to make an impression this year with Haxby finding winning ways in May. The colt, trained by Roger Varian, went on to finish closest of all to the flying filly Tiggy Wiggy in the Weatherbys Super Sprint, and looks another very promising type for next year.

It is no surprise that Vale Of York should prove a good source of speedy juveniles given his own talent at two. A winner on debut, he went on to record an impressive victory in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, defeating five G1 winners including the multiple G1 victor Lookin At Lucky.

Vale Of York will stand the 2015 season at Kildangan Stud, at a fee of €3,000.