True Valour (Ire), a graded stakes-winning miler who also excelled at sprint distances while racing in the U.S. and Europe, has been retired to stand at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md.
Trained by Graham Motion since purchased by R. Larry Johnson in mid-2020, True Valour returned this spring after more than a year off and started three times, winning a stakes at Laurel in his first start in 2021. In his next start in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Belmont, True Valour set all the pace until caught late, beaten one length by multiple Grade 1 winner Casa Creed.
In his next start, a graded stakes at Saratoga, True Valour again made all the pace before losing a head bob to multiple Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal. The layoff came after being injured while competing in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on 2021 Dubai World Cup Day in which he finished 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner.
Boasting an international pedigree sired by world record-setting sire, Kodiac, and filled with champions and classic winners, True Valour launched his career in Ireland and in his third start battled future Group 1 winner and champion Lancaster Bomber to the wire, a nose separating them at the finish. He won stakes at three and four, including the seven-furlong G3 Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown by more than two lengths, after which he was sent to the U.S.
Counted among his U.S. starts were victories in Santa Anita's G3 Thunder Road Stakes and G2 City of Hope Mile, both at a mile, the latter in a final time of 1:32.82. During his 34 start career, 33 on the turf, he won seven times, five in stakes, and recorded 10 stakes-placings, including seconds in the G2 Joe Hernandez at Santa Anita, the G2 Solonaway Boomerang at Leopardstown and Saratoga's G3 Troy, and thirds in Belmont's G1 Jaipur Stakes, Santa Anita's G3 Thunder Road Stakes, the G3 Investec Diomed at Epsom, and the G3 Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown. True Valour retires with career earnings of $690,237.
Following his victory in the five and a half-furlong King T. Leatherbury Stakes this past April, Motion commented, “I think he makes me look good. I thought Larry was crazy when he wanted to bring him back from an injury as an 8-year-old. He's just a really easy horse.”
Upon his retirement, Motion had the following to say, “True Valour's return to racing in 2022 was remarkable and he displayed more speed than any horse I have ever trained. With his pedigree, ability and conformation I think he has the qualities to be a successful stallion.”
True Valour is the first son of English-bred Kodiac to stand in the U.S.
A son of the incomparable Danehill and a half-brother to major sire Invincible Spirit, Kodiac is making his mark as a sire of sires, and continues to rank as one of the best stallions in the world. He holds the record for most 2-year-old winners in a single season (63 in 2017), has sired more than 160 stakes performers worldwide and is represented by such Group 1 winners as current runner Campanelle (Ire).
From an active female family, True Valour is the first foal out of the winning Irish-bred mare Sutton Veny (by Acclamation), whose current 2-year-old, the filly No Kay Never (Ire), won first-time out this past May and has been since been competing in stakes for trainer Wesley Ward and owner Stonestreet Stables. Sutton Veny is a half-sister to stakes winner Glorificamus (Ire), dam of stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Fasnacloich. True Valour's third dam, Caracciola, is also the dam of Two Thousand Guineas winner Mystiko and behind a far-flung family that has produced highweighted Irish 2-year-old Basim, Group 1 winners in New Zealand and South Africa and stakes performers in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Sweden.
True Valour will stand for a fee of $3,000 live foal with multiple mare discounts.
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