This Listed 1200m 3yo event had decent depth and should be a serious source for the rest of Spring and likely over Summer and into Autumn. The winner Heroic Valour maintained his unbeaten record and the Australian bred colt is now four from four with a G1 and two Listed wins on his record. Tellingly at this meeting a juvenile event and a Maiden 3yo were both won too by Australian breds. Heroic Valour was handy the outer but then became surrounded in a precarious position across the top and was looking for a way through at the 300m before driving through into third at the 200m. The colt then showed that will to win near the line and got to the front with 10m to go to clock 1:11.32 and that was the second best gallop on the day. The Open Class sprinters ran about just over a length superior and that bodes well for this race and result. The big colt has tactical speed and can keep lifting the run home so has it all ahead this season it seems. The local stablemates The Soultaker and Wyndspelle both ran home stoutly down the outer to get second and third respectively. The Soultaker settled second last and unleashed like he has some Group business to do this Spring and beyond. Wyndspelle was crowded early but still found the line and he is very near a win this season. He must be getting sick of Heroic Valour after a G1 second too him as a juvenile and now a close Listed third. Ferrando set the pace and looked the winner until being bombed the closing stages and may well have won had a senior rider been atop and rated the colt a tad better. Mongolian Lightning had every chance and while he boxed on it may be he needs wetter footing or longer trips to show his best so mark him down as a weather wager. Barabas ran on late after losing his place but did come the inner and short way around and home throughout. Astara the filly was seventh beaten four lengths but it masked an honest effort as she was wide and working throughout so had to weaken. Spindle is backable next time out and at blacktype level again after being green but boxing on bravely considering he was the wide runner across the top to the home turn that snookered the winner. O'Rachael was poor and stopped the run home after being wide then outside the leader so will need to improve especially when you compare her to Astara in this race as the filly gap is over four lengths. Mongolian Wolf was tailed off on settling and at the line so looks like a wet tracker and/or needs more ground. This was a serious race and run so meaningful form threads will come out of this over Spring at least for sprinters and milers. Heroic Valour gave Team Te Akau some compensation albeit scant after their tangerine pin up star Xtravagant ran an atrocious last at Flemington and would not hit out for the rider like a stallion thinking of anything but racing. This should have a legitimate bearing on both the G1 2000 Guineas (1600m) on November 5 and the G1 1000 Guineas (1600m) on November 12 at Riccarton.