Heroic Son’s excited connections descend on Queensland

By Jordan Gerrans 

With owners spread out across Australia and New Zealand, Team Hulbert had to give their connections plenty of warning around getting to the Gold Coast come January 2022.

It was after Heroic Son’s second career race start that co-trainer Will Hulbert decided pulled the trigger - he had seen enough by then. 

With some owners based in New Zealand and with all the complications that come with borders and flights these days, the smiling Will – who co-trains with his father Peter – informed the team behind the exciting colt to get booking for accommodation on the Glitter Strip.

The son of Heroic Valour has connections all over the place – coming from NZ, Melbourne and all over Queensland – and the trainer wanted to ensure his owners can enjoy the entire Magic Millions experience.

“They are coming from everywhere,” he said.

“I told them after he ran second in his second start 'book your accommodation now for Millions and try and go for the whole week, really enjoy it because it is like grand final week in the footy'.

“It is great fun to go to all the events and hopefully they can have some fun.

"I wish I could enjoy it all as well but I will be doing the horses (laughs)."

The Doomben-based stable enjoyed the Magic Millions fun just a few years ago - Oh Five Glory running a credible fifth in the 2YO Classic in 2019.

It was another from the barn that led Heroic Son to landing with in Brisbane stable.

Some of the connections in stable black-type winner Hail Manhattan also raced Heroic Valour in New Zealand and were keen to purchase one of his sons.

Will went to the sales and with four Heroic Valours on offer, he become the underbidder on the first three, before eventually completing the deal with a colt from Pirelli Princess for just $50,000.

“The owners said, when they came up for the sales, that they would like to secure one from Heroic Valour after having a look,” Hulbert said.

“We were lucky to get this guy as he has been the best of the four so far.”

He has settled into life as a race horse beautifully – not yet running outside of the money in three career efforts.

“He was a ripping little type, he looked like you could throw the saddle on him straight away and he would run,” Hulbert said.

“He is a pleasure to have around the stables, he is still a colt but you would never know it.

“He is a beautiful horse; he has been a natural from day one and just fit into the system.

“He has never been any trouble.

“From day one, he knew exactly what he wanted to be and that was a professional race horse.”

Ridden by stable apprentice Adin Thompson the entire way through his first few preparations, the brown colt has impressed from his first 400-metre jump out.

“I told the owners that if we raced yearling races, I would have put him in that and he would have won that, he was ready to go months before the races were on,” Hulbert said.

“He won good first start in a race from a bad alley, he has got good gate speed and good natural awareness around other horses when he is racing, it makes it a lot easier when they are professional like that.”

Ahead of Sunday’s Group 3 B J McLachlan Stakes, Heroic Son sits 10^th in the order of entry for the famous $2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

He performed well in a jump out at Doomben on Friday and will have a good gallop on the course proper on Wednesday before a crack at red-hot Magic Millions favourite Coolangatta in the B J McLachlan Stakes over 1200 metres.

“It will be a test as he has not raced against ones like he will on the weekend,” Hulbert said of Sunday’s assignment at Doomben.

“There is big wraps on this Coolangatta and seeing as James McDonald did not ride on Hong Kong International day because he wanted to ride it in a Group 3 on Boxing Day, that shows where he is at.

“Our bloke will be competitive on Sunday and we will get a good guide going towards the Millions, which is only three weeks away.

“This is his semi-final this week and then we head there to see how we go.”

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, promising filly Coolangatta is unbeaten ahead of her first start in Queensland.