Champion trainer Chris Waller has shed a thousand tears since Triple Honour set him on a road to fame and fortune in the 2008 Group I Doncaster Handicap at Randwick.
Bred by the then Iskander Bloodstock Manager Suman Hedge, Triple Honour was a son of the Danehill stallion Honours List out of the Nassipour (USA) mare Myrrh (NZ), a daughter of the Group II winner San Pauli Girl (Western Symphony).
By the time he had finished racing in 2012, Triple Honour had added a pair of Group II's on his way to amassing $2,221,960 from 8 wins and 13 placings.
Not bad for a horse that cost Waller just $50,000 at the 2006 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Subsequently purchased by Coolmore, Myrrh looked like she might be a one hit wonder, although she did have five other winners from nine to race when her 12th
Nine years after foaling Triple Honour, Myrrh had a Fastnet Rock colt that was foaled and raised on Coolmore Stud but was sent to Curraghmore Stud to be prepared for the 2015 NZ Premier Yearling Sale.
David Ellis gave a wink at $400,000 and when there was no reply, the colt was on his way Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards at Matamata.
Named Heroic Valour, it didn't take long to prove his worth. After a debut win at Trentham and a Listed win at Matamata, Heroic Valour had the honour of becoming Fastnet Rock's first Group I winning two-year-old in the 2016 Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.
While the Te Akau colour-bearer has not won since making his 3yo bow in the Listed Northland Breeders Stakes in September last year he has been a model of consistency and was most recently nosed out by Savanna Amour in the Group III Gold Coast Guineas.
The son of Fastnet Rock has to lump 60.5kgs in Saturday's Listed Daybreak Lover Stakes, conceding upwards of 4.5kgs to the field but he has a big heart and at a price of around $7 is worth a gamble.
