$1000 Mare Produces Tenth Stakes-Winner for Extreme Choice

Tara Madgwick - Saturday July 1

It’s been a steep learning curve this year for talented Extreme Choice gelding Knight’s Choice, who capped his meteoric rise with a resounding win in the $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

Knight's Choice wins the G3 Winx Guineas - image Michael McInally / Magic Millions

Trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon, Knight’s Choice broke his maiden over 1600m at the Sunshine Coast on May26 and has not been beaten since.

He followed up with Benchmark 65 wins at the Sunshine Coast and Doomben before stepping out in Black Type company for the first time.

Advertisement

Taking on some seasoned opposition, Knight’s Choice powered to the line for Jaden Lloyd to win running away by more than a length over Fashion Legend, who won the $2million Magic Millions Guineas back in January.

“To think he’s done all this in his first prep, it’s unbelievable,” said John Symons.

“From getting beaten in a Kilcoy maiden to winning a Group III race today, it’s just sensational.

“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. Who knows?

“We’ll just let the dust settle on this win first.”

It was a milestone win for Jaden Lloyd, who was thankful for first his Group victory.

“He’s just a really lovely animal, and I can’t thank John and Sheila enough for giving me the opportunity with him,” Lloyd said.

“I galloped him on Tuesday, and he just filled me with confidence. He’s only going to get better with time because he’s got such an electric turn of foot.”

Knight's Choice was sold by Elswick Park for $85,000 in Magic Millions Book 2.

Knight’s Choice was purchased by Michael Kirby/John Symons for $85,000 from the Elswick Park draft at Magic Millions Yearling Sale Book 2 and has the overall record of four wins from seven starts with prizemoney of $236,150.

He was bred by Norm Bazeley of Elswick Park, who bought his mother Midnight Pearl for $1000 at the 2013 Inglis Great Southern Sale as a maiden mare that had not been to stud. Knight’s Choice is her fourth foal and first winner from four to race, so is a significant improvement on her previous offspring.

A seven time winning daughter of champion sire More Than Ready (USA), Midnight Pearl is a half-sister to stakes-placed Sea Spray, but it’s a pedigree bereft of Black Type winners with Knight’s Choice the first stakes-winner in this family for five generations.

Midnight Pearl was not covered in 2021, but did go to another of the young Newgate sires last year in Brutal.

Extreme Choice stands at a fee of $275,000.

Knight’s Choice is the tenth stakes-winner for outstanding sire Extreme Choice, who has the happy knack of being able to upgrade a pedestrian mare to produce a serious stakes horse.

He runs at 14% SW to runner and has sired four stakes-winners this season despite his limited numbers and two of those stakes-winners are Group I winners Espiona and She’s Extreme with Group III winners Wollombi and Knight’s Choice rounding out the quartet.

Extreme Choice stands at Newgate at a fee of $275,000 alongside two of his sons in Stay Inside and Tiger of Malay.

Advertisment

Race Result - Double R Group Winx Guineas Gr3 1600m

Sunshine Coast Track: Good(4) Time: 1:36.48
1
Knight's Choice
- 3g Extreme Choice (AUS) x Midnight Pearl (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: J G Symons & S Laxon Rdr: Jaden Lloyd 57
2
1.3
Fashion Legend
- 3g Deep Field (AUS) x Sarong (NZ) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: Richard & Will Freedman Rdr: Ben Thompson 57
3
1.5
Grebeni
- 3g Ocean Park (NZ) x Dubrovnik (AUS) (Medaglia D'Oro (USA))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: Ryan Maloney 57
4
1.8
Crafty Eagle
- 3g Starcraft (NZ) x Splendid Eagle (AUS) (Sebring (AUS))
Tnr: John Thompson Rdr: Tyler Schiller 57
5
3.8
Banana Slide
- 3f Sebring (AUS) x Let It Slip (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: David Vandyke Rdr: Martin Harley 55
6
3.9
Mumbai Jewel
- 3f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Mumbai Rock (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Damien Thornton 55
7
4.0
Texas
- 3g Rubick (AUS) x Testadrop (AUS) (Testa Rossa (AUS))
Tnr: B J Smith Rdr: Jake Bayliss 57
8
4.2
Robusto
- 3g Churchill (IRE) x She's Clean (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Kyle Wilson-Taylor 57
9
5.7
Red Top
- 3g Top Echelon (AUS) x Red Emblem (AUS) (Red Dazzler (AUS))
Tnr: Tony & Maddysen Sears Rdr: Angela Jones 57
10
6.5
Stroll
- 3f Snitzel (AUS) x Walk The Streets (AUS) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: S O'Dea & M Hoysted Rdr: A Mallyon 55
11
6.7
Kubwa
- 3g Pierro (AUS) x High Carinae (AUS) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: Billy Healey Rdr: Justin Huxtable 57
12
6.9
Set Ablaze
- 3g Sizzling (AUS) x Carusma (AUS) (Statue Of Liberty (USA))
Tnr: Belinda Mair Rdr: Tiffani Brooker 57
13
7.3
Chairman
- 3c Snitzel (AUS) x Harlow Gold (NZ) (Tavistock (NZ))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: James Orman 57
14
10.6
Whistling Spirit
- 3g Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Foxwhistle (AUS) (Authorized (IRE))
Tnr: R Tyrell & T Button Rdr: S T Collett 57
15
18.1
Soothsayer
- 3g Divine Prophet (AUS) x Eight Below (AUS) (Sebring (AUS))
Tnr: D L Freedman Rdr: Tim Clark 57
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday August 28
Here is the full list of 33 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sire Power Highlights Quality MM Horses in Training Catalogue
An incredible selection of the country's best proven and hottest young sires will feature at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale in October.
Melbourne Cup Winner for Extreme Choice – Rare Slice of History
This year’s $8.5million Group I VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) produced a genuinely amazing fairytale result for the connections of five year-old Extreme Choice gelding Knight’s Choice, but part of that fairytale is his sire Extreme Choice, who has carved out something seriously special as being only the second sire in history to produce the winner of a Golden Slipper and a Melbourne Cup.
Sir Stanley Goosman’s Impact on the National Yearling Sale
Karaka 2026 will mark the 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand, and a prominent buyer during the history of the Sale was Stanley Goosman (later Sir Stanley).  He was a key player at the Sale during the World War II era, and headed the list of winning owners in New Zealand on 10 occasions.
Melbourne Cup Dreaming for Kiwi Stayer
Peter and Shaun McKay are dreaming of a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) tilt with their quality stayer Wolfgang, and he will start his journey towards the iconic feature at Wanganui on Saturday.
Via Sistina Honoured at NSW Horse of the Year
One of the greatest seasons of all time has secured Via Sistina the TAB NSW Champion Horse of the Year award. The Chris Waller-trained mare was recognised at Racing’s Night of Champions for her outstanding performance in 2024/2025 which included equalling Winx’s record of seven Group 1s in a single season.
Spring Trial Watch – Everest Contenders on Show
The Rosehill trials on Thursday morning featured a couple of key Everest contenders with Private Harry winning easily over speedy 3YO North England, while Lady Shenandoah was under a tight grip to finish third in a later heat.
Promising Winner and a Star on the Rise
One of the bargain priced sires on the Newgate Farm roster, Cosmic Force has never lacked for company covering 100 plus books of mares in each of his five seasons at stud so far totalling nearly 700 mares.
Up and Coming Well Named - So Who Are These Guys?
The $250,000 Group III ATC Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday is a race well named with a field of eight colts and geldings set to line up and while none are stakes-winners yet, one of them will be after the weekend.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.