Rapid stakes double for Extreme Choice
A more expansive track at Caulfield and the step up to 1400 metres for the first time in Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas Prelude (Gr 3, 1400m) brought out the best in Estremo (Extreme Choice) as the colt laid down a marker for the stallion-making feature in three weeks’ time.
Some 20 minutes later at Randwick, Apocalyptic made it a quickfire stakes double for her remarkable sire Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) when she made it back-to-back wins with a dominant display in the Tea Rose Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m).
Trainer Michael Freedman now has a decision to make on whether to back up his in-form filly in next Saturday’s Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), for which she is now the $7 fourth favourite behind Tempted (Street Boss).
There is no doubt where Estremo’s immediate future lies, however, with Chris Waller’s right-hand man Charlie Duckworth confirming that the colt would take his place in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) after becoming his trainer’s first winner of the Prelude.
Waller may have endured a barren run in the Prelude but he unquestionably knows what it takes to win the big one, having masterminded a hat-trick of Caulfield Guineas victories over the past decade – most notably when The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) blitzed his rivals back in 2018.
The Autumn Sun, who has returned to stud duties at Arrowfield for the upcoming breeding season, started at the prohibitive price of $1.70 that day whereas Estremo, following two solid rather than spectacular outings at Moonee Valley, jumped at the more enticing odds of $7 in Saturday’s seven-runner Prelude.
The old adage about horses for courses may ring true in the case of Estremo, who looked much more comfortable at Caulfield than he did navigating The Valley’s tight turns in the McKenzie Stakes (Listed, 1200m), won on debut by Clinton McDonald’s speedster Rosberg (Deep Field).
Waller conceded he may have erred in not stepping Estremo up in trip sooner in his preparation but, as ever, the master trainer got his preparations spot-on this time with the colt’s fact-finding mission at Caulfield on Tuesday morning producing the desired outcome.
With the Good 4 surface (upgraded to a Good 3 after race two) favouring on-speed runners, the Matt Laurie-traineed colt Vega For Luck (Lucky Vega) looked to have stolen a march on his rivals but under the urgings of Ben Melham, Estremo eventually reeled in the long-time leader to prevail by 0.1 lengths with race favourite Planet Red (Admire Mars) running into third – beaten 1.3 lengths.
Given the manner of his powerful finish, albeit off a muddling tempo, the step up to the mile in the Caulfield Guineas should only enhance Estremo’s prospects of becoming the first horse since Helmet (Exceed And Excel) in 2011 to achieve the Prelude-Guineas double.
“He came here early in the week to have a look around and Ben [Melham] was really happy with that piece of work, so I think that had him in good stead for today,” said Duckworth.
“The extra distance was brilliant and I think that with Ben having had that sit on him earlier in the week, it just allowed him the confidence to ride him where he wanted to ride him. He obviously had to dig deep late and he had to fight all the way to the line but it was a great win.
“I think it was just a case of The Valley getting him beaten on the two previous occasions. We sort of ummed and ahhed over whether we ran that second time around The Valley [in the McKenzie Stakes], because he was probably already looking for the 1400 metres.
“But we opted to run as he was well-fancied in the market and there were enough indications that he’d taken benefit from his first go around there. It didn’t pan out for us that day, but it has today.”
Stablemate Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun), who contests next week’s Golden Rose in Sydney before making the journey south to Melbourne, is currently the $4 favourite for the Caulfield Guineas after he resumed with an eye-catching second in the Ming Dynasty (Gr 3, 1400m).
Estremo had his odds trimmed to $18 from an opening quote of $51 but despite the disparity in the market between the two stable companions, Duckworth believes that his familiarity with Caulfield could give the Prelude winner a key advantage.
“Obviously we’ve got a quartet of horses heading towards a Golden Rose next weekend, and some of them would be likely to then come down to the Caulfield Guineas,” said Duckworth.
“But he [Estremo] will have the advantage of winning around here, whereas they won’t. It’s always hard to exactly measure up, because course specialists are a big thing and it could give him a significant advantage, having that experience.”
Melham made it back-to-back wins in the Prelude having piloted Angel Capital (Harry Angel) – before he joined Waller’s stables – to victory 12 months ago.
Melham is likely to be glued to Rosberg’s back but given the crack colt is set to stick to sprint trips with an eye on the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), there is every chance he will be reunited in the Caulfield Guineas with Estremo.
“He’s a horse that’s got nice ability and, just watching him, he didn’t look like he was really suited to Moonee Valley and he was probably looking for the trip,” said Melham.
“I worked him the other morning and I thought he’s a horse that you just want to keep happy. If you can keep him happy and balanced, he’ll run well for you. He had a beautiful run, he tracked up behind the leader then came off his back, and it was pretty soft in the end.
“I didn’t really get to the bottom of him, he did just enough to win. He’s had a good experience and he was good at the trip.”
Estremo became Extreme Choice’s second individual stakes winner of the season after Apocalyptic got her fertility-challenged father on the board courtesy of her win in the Furious Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
Estremo was a $230,000 purchase by Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds syndicate from the Newgate Farm draft at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Martin has enjoyed top level success with Extreme Choice, having raced Group 1-winning mare Espiona in her distinctive purple colours.
He is the best of five winners to come out of the metro-winning Street Cry (Machiavellian) mare Tree Of Jesse, herself a half-sister to stakes winner Related (Elusive Quality). Extreme Choice is standing at a career-high fee of $330,000 (inc GST) this season.
Despite not having a runner in the Prelude, Tony and Calvin McEvoy will have been interested observers in the result, having purchased Estremo’s sister for $200,000 at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.