UNCOMMON VALOUR TOUGHS IT OUT TO CLAIM VICTORY

By Graham Potter | Saturday, February 3, 2024

You couldn’t say Uncommon Valour hadn’t been warming up for a win.

The Michael Nolan trained son of Heroic Valour came into this race ... a BM72 Handicap over 2118m at Eagle Farm on February 3 ... off the back of a runner finish when beaten by the narrowest of margins over 2200m at Ipswich and a third place finish at Doomben over 2050m.

The fact that he was knocking at the door was recognised by the prices displayed on the betting boards here with Uncommon Valour sent out on the third line of betting at $4.40.

Ryan Maloney had Uncommon Valour racing in-between runners, just worse than midfield in seventh place in the early part, a little over four lengths off the lead and little changed as the $61 bolter Sea Treasures took the field down the back straight at an ordinary tempo.

Maloney still bided his time, holding his nerve all the way to the approach to the home turn, at which stage he elected to ask Uncommon Valour to go forward, bringing the Nolan trained runner five wide on the turn as he angled the four-year-old outwards into clear galloping room.

Once presented with a clear run to the line, Uncommon Valour changed gears and produced a strong sustained run which carried him right up into the leading line where he became engaged in a two horse, stride-for-stride battle with Ain’t He Grand ($5.50) who, like Uncommon Valour, had run on strongly from behind hugging a rails run to emerge late and engage with Uncommon Valour who was racing down the centre of the track.

For a while inside the 100m it was a battle royal, but, in the end, Maloney was able to get that vital bit extra out of his mount over the concluding stages which saw Uncommon Valour edge ahead in the final strides to score by 0.38 lengths.

The $48 000 first prize-money payment took Uncommon Valour’s career earning past the $200 000 mark to $216 670 ... courtesy of four wins and eleven placings from twenty-five starts.

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