Military Expert (AUS)
Military Expert (AUS)
3 c Redoute’s Choice – Gresset by Hussonet
O: Golden East Horse
B: GSA Bloodstock Ltd
T: Annabel Neasham
S: 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Bhima Thoroughbreds P: Z An, $1.1 million
W: OAS Technology Group C, G & E Maiden Handicap, 1200m, August 7, Newcastle
High-priced colt Military Expert (Redoute’s Choice) was able to piece it all together on his third career start, recording a maiden win at Newcastle on Saturday in impressive style.
The victim of a pair of wide barriers, as well as bumping into some smart, well-bred types on his first two starts, the $1.1 million yearling colt from the penultimate crop of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) made no mistake in a maiden handicap for the colts and geldings over 1200 metres, going on to win by three-quarters of a length from the similarly blueblooded Godolphin homebred Retrieval (Medaglia D’Oro), a brother to stakes winners Multaja and Veranillo.
Military Expert ran second on debut, revved up from barrier eight to sit outside an overzealous leader, but stuck to his task to go down under a length to the swooping King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible), while it was a similar story when running fourth at Rosehill on July 24.
However, allowed to sit behind the front two at Newcastle, a more mature, now three-year-old Military Expert eased off heels and dispatched his rivals under Brodie Loy, with winning trainer Annabel Neasham suggesting the Ming Dynasty (Gr 3, 1400m) could be his next target.
“He is a tough horse and it was only his third start. I will see how he recovers and we may head to the Ming Dynasty,” she said.
“This horse may need some head gear to keep his mind on the job.
“Military Expert works like a stakes horse at home and I am convinced he will in the future get there.”
Purchased by Golden East Horse at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft, Military Expert is the second foal out of Gresset (Hussonet), a half-sister to South African Grade 2 winner Honorine (Redoute’s Choice), while this is an extensive Aga Khan family, with 36 stakes winners deriving from third dam Darazina (Labus), including Champion three-year-old filly in Europe Darjina (Zamindar), as well as the Haras D’Etreham-bred Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Almanzor (Wootton Bassett).