Three-time Group 1 winner succumbs to colic.
Kris Lees and Lib Petagna are mourning their former star filly and mare Lucia Valentina, who died on Wednesday.
The daughter of Savabeel, who won at Group 1 level three times and was the equal highest-rated horse Lees trained, succumbed to a bout of colic at the age of 14.
"It's with great sadness we share the passing of star mare Lucia Valentina to colic this morning," Lees Racing said in a social media statement late on Wednesday.
"A very special horse to our family, stable and connections.
"Vale Lucia Valentina."
An NZ$60,000 Karaka Yearling Sale purchase for Bruce Perry on behalf of Petagna, Lucia Valentina raced 30 times for seven wins and six placings in a career that generated $4,354,803 in stakes.
Out of the Montjeu mare Staryn Glenn, Lucia Valentina had her first five starts in New Zealand, where she won the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m), before announcing herself in Australia with victory in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in 2014.
She then ran third in the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m), resumed with a win in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) before taking the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) en route to starting favourite in the Caulfield Cup (2400m), finishing third behind Admire Rakti.
She did not win again until the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at the following year's Melbourne Cup Carnival and then went to Hong Kong where she finished fifth in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) won by A Shin Hikari.
But she saved her best for her final career win with her brilliant 2-1/4-length win in the 2016 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) generating a Racing And Sports rating of 124, which is the equal of any rating recorded by a horse in Lees' care.
The others to run to 124 are Black Caviar Lightning winner In Her Time, triple Group 1 winner Le Romain and All-Star Mile hero Mugatoo.
Lucia Valentina was retired after her seventh placing in the 2016 Cox Plate and, to date, has had three foals to race with last year's Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) third placegetter Luella Cristina, a daughter of Snitzel, the best-performed.
She lost the Super Seth colt foaled in 2021, has a two-year-old filly by I Am Invincible named Erin Jo in training with Lees and last year had a colt by Per Incanto.
