Omolong (AUS)

2 c Extreme Choice – Samarmeteors by Northern Meteor)
O: Yu Long Investments (Mgr: Y Zhang) & G Harvey
B: Gerry Harvey

T: Chris Waller
S: 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale V: Baramul Stud P: Yu Long Investments Pty Ltd, $850,000
W: Asahi Super Dry Handicap, 1100m, Warwick Farm

The Chris Waller-trained sale topper Omolong (Extreme Choice) made the perfect start to his career on Wednesday when he landed an 1100-metre contest for juveniles at Warwick Farm.

Ridden by Tommy Berry following a trio of promising barrier trial performances, including a win in his most recent at Rosehill, the Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) colt defeated stablemates Sanctum (Stay Inside) and Letters Patent (Wootton Bassett) by 1.2 and 1.4 lengths respectively.

Sent to the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale by Baramul Stud, Omolong was purchased by Yulong for a record-equalling $850,000, with breeder Gerry Harvey retaining a small share in the colt.

“They all ran super. Obviously, Omolong made it hard for himself, stepping a little bit slow away, but he was too good and the other two acquitted themselves nicely,” stable representative Charlie Duckworth said.

“We’ll get today out of the way. He’s now no longer a maiden, so he’ll have to step up in grade and things become much harder from that point on, but it was a brilliant first day at school.

“He’s a little bit small, but that’s Extreme Choice… he can throw them in any shape and size, and they’ve all seemingly got engines.

“Gerry Harvey kept a little share in him as well. He did the same with Campione D’Italia, so hopefully he’s just as lucky with this colt.”

Berry was also excited with the performance, adding: “I loved his trials. He went past me in his last trial when I was second and I had a look and was like, ‘Oh, who’s that?’ Then you see yourself on him at acceptances and it’s a pretty good feeling.

“In the gates there were a couple playing up around him and he was too busy sort of concentrating on that, so he didn’t leave the gates very well, but I just rode him to Plan B and asked him to switch off, which was very easy. He was in my hands when I asked him to go, and he rounded them up pretty quick. It’s a nice feeling when you don’t have to use the persuader.”

A late December foal from a January cover, Omolong is the fifth winner from six foals to race out of the winning Northern Meteor (Encosta De Lago) mare Samarmeteors, who was covered last spring by Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot).

He became the sixth two-year-old winner this season from just nine runners for Extreme Choice, alongside Group-winning colts Paradoxium, Berzelius and Hidrix.