Knight’s Choice shows Extreme talent to score in Winx Guineas
Symons and Laxon wind back the clock to claim first stakes win in 14 years at the Sunshine Coast
Knight’s Choice unleashed a sumptuous turn of foot, one worthy of the great mare honoured in the race title, as the son of Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) continued his rousing progression to land an explosive win in the Winx Guineas (Gr 3, 1600m) at the Sunshine Coast yesterday.
The gelding posted a fourth win in succession to take his burgeoning career record to as many successes from seven starts, but for Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Sheila Laxon and her Group 1-winning co-trainer John Symons, victory for Knight’s Choice represented a first black type success for the pair in 14 years.
The winner also further demonstrated the prowess of his Newgate Farm sire Extreme Choice to upgrade mares, becoming the tenth individual stakes winner for the stallion from just 72 runners, and handing his dam, Midnight Pearl (More Than Ready), a $1,000 broodmare buy for Elswick Park in 2013, a first winner and stakes scorer from four runners.
Post-race, Laxon, who trained Ethereal (Rhythm) to a famous Melbourne Cup – Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) double in 2001, believed Knight’s Choice ‘could be anything’ as she and Symons, the trainer Bel Esprit (Royal Academy), who won the 2002 Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), added a third stakes win since entering into a partnership in 2007, and first since 2009 Bendigo Cup (Listed, 2200m) winner Zupacool (Redoute’s Choice).
“He is a seriously nice horse, they offered a million bucks to the owners to sell this horse [before the race] and they didn’t take it,” Laxon said.
“To do what he did today was awesome, he just won so easily.”
Rounding the turn for home in midfield, apprentice Jaden Lloyd, who was winning his second stakes race and first at Group level, angled Knight’s Choice to come wide in the straight, and his mount rounded up his rivals with gusto, accelerating to lead with 150 metres remaining, and extending clear to win by a length and a quarter ahead of Group 3 scorer and Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL, 1425m) winner Fashion Legend (Deep Field).
Grebeni (Ocean Park), unbeaten at his three starts prior to yesterday’s race, ran on strongly to take third, a further neck adrift at the line.
Knight’s Choice (3 g Extreme Choice – Midnight Pearl by More Than Ready) was purchased by Symons and Michael Kirby for $85,000 from the Elswick Park draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and the co-trainer marvelled at the improvement of the diminutive bay, who in May this year was beaten nearly six lengths in a maiden at Kilcoy.
It was not until three weeks later that Knight’s Choice, at the Sunshine Coast, first added to the win column, showing a glimpse of his hair-raising talent to come from the rear of the field and win a maiden over 1600 metres.
He returned to his hometown track to post a three-and-a-quarter-length win on June 11, before entering metropolitan company for the first time when landing a three-year-old Benchmark 65 handicap over 1600 metres at Doomben just ten days prior to yesterday’s success.
“To think he’s done all this in his first prep, it’s unbelievable,” said Symons.
“He’s a very good horse, we’ll send him for a spell then think about where we go next with him. We might look at the Melbourne spring or there’s the Magic Millions here in January.
“We’ll just let the dust settle on this win first.”
The win would be of great sentimental value to his owner, Richard Waldron, who also raced the dam, with Laxon and Symons, to seven wins from 54 starts.
The daughter of More Than Ready (Southern Halo) is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Sea Spray (Von Costa De Hero), while Knight’s Choice became the first stakes winner within the first five dams of his family.
Dolphin Skin claims Taj Rossi on Finals Day
Filly Dolphin Skin (Telperion) took full advantage of the absence of the unbeaten Steparty (Artie Schiller) to post the first win of her career in yesterday’s Taj Rossi Series Final (Listed, 1600m) at Flemington.
Having been defeated by Steparty, who was withdrawn from the race on Friday by his trainer Paul Preusker after a ‘change in demeanour’, at her first two starts – beaten three and a half lengths when runner-up on debut at Flemington on June 3, before she finished seven and a half lengths behind the boom colt when sixth back at headquarters two weeks later – Dolphin Skin made smooth progress into yesterday’s Listed contest, before being pulled wide by apprentice Wiremu Pinn and needing the full length of the straight to down Line ‘Em Up Loui (Dissident) by a head.
Sunsource (Zoustar), the $3 favourite, stayed on to finish third, but was always well held, crossing the line one and a quarter lengths behind the winner.
Co-trainer Troy Corstens, who returned to Australia yesterday morning having overseen The Astrologist’s (Zoustar) Royal Ascot campaign, will look to step Dolphin Skin up in distance, with the Byerley Handicap (1800m) at Flemington on July 15 on the radar, which provides a ballot-free exemption into the VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) in the spring.
“I was on a plane and landed in Hong Kong when I got a message the favourite [Steparty] was out,” Corstens said.
“I said ‘beautiful, we might be able to pick up some black type’ and then when I saw the other horse [African Pioneer] was out as well, I was rapt.
“I’ve been really pleased with her and her first run down the straight [on debut] was terrific.
“Danny O’Brien commented that [VRC Oaks winner] Miami Bound ran well in the same race first-up and I’m hoping that we can get her out over a trip.”
Corstens, who trains in partnership with his father, Leon, also credited Dean Harvey of Flemington Bloodstock, who part-owns the filly along with Shane Morrissy, for sourcing Dolphin Skin for just $13,000 from the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.
“I’m racing her with two mates, which makes it more special,” Corstens said.
“I have to thank Dean Harvey, who gave me a list of about 35 horses at the ready to runs. They are usually all colts, but I was at Gerry Harvey’s Westbury Stud, and a filly came out. I thought, ‘why am I looking at a filly?’ But as soon as I saw her, I loved her.”
Victory for Pinn was the first since the saga surrounding the rider competing with an incorrect weight allowance upon his arrival in Australia from New Zealand, resulting in the disqualification of 29 horses, and a maiden stakes success in the country.
“It’s pretty special,” Pinn said. “There’s no claiming races today and I’m glad they’ve kept me on as they could have put a good jockey on, someone like ‘Shinny’ [Blake Shinn], but they stuck with me.”
“It’s a very proud moment. I haven’t had much luck here, especially as it’s a stakes race. I probably should have won a couple of races by now.”
Dolphin Skin (2 f Telperion – Tempo Manor by General Nediym) became the second individual stakes winner for his former Westbury Stud-based sire Telperion (Street Cry), who now stands in China.
The filly, who failed to make her $20,000 reserve as a yearling, is one of three winners from six runners out of the four-time winner Tempo Manor, herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Ready To Rip (More Than Ready).