Martín Valle to Ride Don Feres in G1 Gran Premio 25 de Mayo
- Turf Diario
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
Will Replace Carlos Trujillo Aboard Peruvian Star for the upcoming G1 25 de Mayo, at Hipódromo de San Isidro
By Néstor Obregón Rossi
While the spotlight currently shines on the upcoming G1 Gran Premio República Argentina and its spectacular card at Palermo, the buzz is already building around the next major turf festival: the G1 Gran Premio 25 de Mayo at San Isidro.
One of the most anticipated storylines surrounding the second most prestigious race of the season for older horses on the Jockey Club’s turf will be the presence of Don Feres (Per), the Peruvian champion who has settled in at Campo 2 in San Isidro and is hoping that the third time will be the charm on Argentine soil.
A son of Singe the Turf, Don Feres finished second to Brazil’s Doutor Sureño (Agnes Gold) in the G1 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano in 2023, and was a troubled third behind Intense for Me (Fortify) and the now multiple champion El Kodigo (Equal Stripes) in the G1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini last December.
Now, according to a report from Diario El Crack in Peru, Don Feres will sport a new rider for the G1 25 de Mayo(2400m, turf): none other than Martín Javier Valle, who will replace regular pilot Carlos Trujillo. Valle comes in with strong credentials, having won three of the last four runnings of the Pellegrini, including the most recent aboard Intense for Me.
“I’m grateful for the trust the Stud Jet Set team has placed in me and I hope to live up to it,” Valle told El Crack. “Don Feres has always struck me as a top-class horse. When he’s lost, it’s only been due to bad luck or the kind of things that happen in racing—but he’s the real deal.”
His comments came after Don Feres turned in a smooth 2000-meter move in 2:12 last Tuesday at San Isidro, a gallop that left a strong impression on the new rider.
“I liked the way he moved,” Valle added. “It’s the third time I’ve been on him, and I’m starting to get a better feel for him. It was a solid piece of work for this course.”
Don Feres is trained by Juan Suárez Villarroel, with his Argentine campaign being overseen by Juan Carlos Bianchi, under whose care the horse is currently stabled.
Among the top names likely to line up against the gray is Grezzo (Hi Happy), representing Haras La Providencia, and a last-out winner of the G1 Gran Premio Miguel A. Martínez de Hoz.
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