INTRODUCING

VALDA

MEET OUR VERY OWN RACEHORSE

VALDA

Every great racing story starts with belief.

Ours begins with Valda a three-year-old filly named in tribute to Valda Pamela, carrying both legacy and promise as she prepares to take on the track.

Valda is the filly at the heart of Gallop & Grace’s racing story and she comes from serious breeding. Bred for performance and sired by Group 1 Irish Derby winner Latrobe, she combines strong pedigree with athletic presence.

Latrobe is an Irish-bred son of Camelot who rose to prominence by winning the Group 1 Irish Derby in 2018 for trainer Joseph O’Brien.

He competed at the highest level internationally, placing in elite races including the Irish St Leger and the Mackinnon Stakes and earned over €1 million in prize money during his career.

Now standing at stud, Latrobe is recognised for passing on stamina, toughness and classic middle-distance ability to his offspring.

Valda was identified as a standout prospect during a trip to France in Spring 2025 when Director Tina Surman met bloodstock agent Amanda Zetterholm of NGAZ Racing. After discussing Tina’s ambition to own a competitive racehorse, Amanda presented Valda, a filly with the physique, strength and breeding to develop into a serious contender.

Named in honour of Tina’s late mother, Valda Pamela Rallings, she began her conditioning in the UK with Tom George Racing, spending nine months building fitness, strength and foundational work. In recent weeks she has moved to Avilly-Saint-Léonard, France, just outside Paris, where she is now in focused training ahead of her racing debut.

Name: Valda

Age: 3-year-old Filly

Sire: Latrobe (Group 1 Irish Derby Winner)

Purchased: Spring 2025

Named In Honour Of: Valda Pamela Rallings

UK Training Base: Tom George Racing

Current Training Base: NGAZ Racing

Focus: Preparing for race debut

gallop & Grace

VALDA'S LEGACY

Valda Pamela lived 93 remarkable years and she made sure every single one of them counted.

Born and raised in Shenstone,

West Midlands, Valda was the youngest of nine brothers and sisters.

From the very beginning, she learned how to hold her own and she did so with sparkle, spirit and just a touch of mischief that would stay with her for life.

When she married her husband Rex, they began with a smallholding; pigs, chickens, turkeys and plenty of hard work. What started as rearing their own produce soon grew into something much bigger. With determination and grit, they opened a much-loved farm shop in Crowle, Worcestershire, proudly championing true farm-to-fork long before it became fashionable.

Never one to do things by halves, Valda went to college to learn the art of butchery herself so she could sell the very produce she had raised on her own land. She didn’t just run a farm shop, she served her community. With her butchers van, she delivered her wares locally, becoming a familiar and welcome face on doorsteps across the area.

Sharp-witted, warm-hearted and just a little bit of a naughty

Valda was far more than a businesswoman. She was a cornerstone of the Crowle community.

Incredibly social, always up to date with the local news (and perhaps a little gossip) and rarely short of an opinion. If there was a gathering, Valda was the talking point. She was the life and soul of every party.

Sharp-witted, warm-hearted and just a little bit of a naughty minx with a wicked sense of humour that kept everyone on their toes.

She was a proud mother to Tina, Julie and Robert and a much-loved grandmother and great-grandmother to countless grandchildren, who carry her spirit forward.

Beyond farming and family, Valda had a deep love of music. An accomplished musician, she played the violin, piano, keyboard and even the ukulele. She adored the music of André Rieu the sweep of violins and the joy of performance perfectly suited her vibrant personality.

She was also passionate about plants, especially her beloved fuchsias. She was rarely happier than when potting on young plants, nurturing something to life. A fitting reflection of how she lived: hands busy, heart full.

And yes she loved a good tipple of whiskey… sometimes one, sometimes three.

So now you understand the legacy, this new chapter runs in her name, carrying Valda’s memory forward bold, proud, full of life, with a hint of naughtiness!