TINY FILLY. HUGE HEART!

VALLEY GIRL wins her first race with Jason Whiting on board. (Photo courtesy Hollands Photographics)


The win of pint sized filly VALLEY GIRL at Ascot on Saturday, once again brings to mind the old tried and tested saying about "it not being the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog".
Whoever coined that saying surely must have trained a very smart racehorse at some stage which was also knee high to a grasshopper!

VALLEY GIRL would have to rate as the smallest and possibly one of the lightest racehorses (weight wise) that I have ever taken to the races. Ever! The filly by outstanding first season sire SAXON looks like having a smart future the way she followed up her gutsy first up win with a workmanlike last to first win in the opening race at Ascot on Saturday.

Over the years I have trained plenty of small horses and some smart ones as well. I remember a horse called PARK THE PEEPERS which would have struggled to make 15 hands high wearing high heals but honestly this little filly would be at least 2 inches smaller and about 70-100kg lighter. There really is nothing of her but don't let her size fool you.

Typical of most of the shorter participants of the racing industry, she will never allow her size to cause her to take a backward step. In fact quite the opposite! This little filly is happy to give her handlers a hard time whether it be getting saddled, being led or being ridden. And pity help anyone who wants to argue with her. I have seen some of the biggest horses in my stable take a backward step when the filly, affectionately named "Rebel" by the staff, lays her ears back at them.

VALLEY girl is the daughter of RAVINIA who in turn is the daughter of SUDDEN BURST. I trained SUDDEN BURST to win a string of races in the early nineties and then won more races with her first foal, a horse named Mr TANZANIA. To say that I have had a great run with the family would be an understatement. So much so that I purchased another two yearlings from the recent sales which are closely related to VALLEY GIRL. I hope they end up as tough!