Melbourne Cup Winner for Extreme Choice – Rare Slice of History

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday November 6

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.

Extreme Choice pictured with Tara Madgwick at Newgate Farm this spring.

The Golden Slipper was first run in 1957 and the Melbourne Cup in 1861 and in the period during which both races have been run only one other stallion has sired the winners of both races, which is not surprising given one is a 1200m sprint for juveniles and the other is a 3200m handicap geared to older stayers.

Extreme Choice won his Slipper with Stay Inside and has now won a Cup with Knight’s Choice and the other sire to do it was Cambridge Stud’s legendary stallion Sir Tristram (IRE).

Sir Tristram was primarily a source of classic horses and more staying types and left three Melbourne  Cup winners in Gurners Lane(1982), Empire Rose (1988) and Brew (2000) and also sired Marauding to win the Golden Slipper in 1987.

Sir Tristram was Champion Australian Sire on six occasions 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990, which does make you wonder what might have been for Extreme choice if he had the fertility to match his phenomenal talents as a sire.

Knight's Choice returns triumphant at Flemington - image Grant Courtney

Trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon, Knight’s Choice was ridden brilliantly by Robbie Dolan to edge out Japanese raider Warp Speed (Jpn) by a head in a thrilling finish.

Sheila Laxon already booked her place in Melbourne Cup history as the first woman to train the winner with Ethereal in 2001.

"It was just an awesome and amazing ride by Robbie," Laxon said.

"We didn't give him instructions, he just knew what to do.

"Obviously, when you win something like this, it takes a while to register. John is over the moon and the owners are just so thrilled. It's great to be part of it.

"Do you know what's great? I love it being done for the Australians. The Australian horse has done it and Robbie's Australian now as well. So I'm thrilled to win the Cup. It's the People's Cup and that's what it's all about.

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"Cameron Bain and the people who raced Midnight Pearl - the mother have 10% as well. So it's just a small group of people. They're just so thrilled and so am I.”

Knight's Choice was an $85,000 Magic Millions purchase from Elswick Park.

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 six wins and five placings from 23 starts with prizemoney of $5.8million.

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.

If you go a very long way back and I’m talking a long, long way back, his 12th dam is Our Lassie, who won the Group I Epsom Oaks in 1903!

Midnight Pearl did not have a live foal for a few years, but has foaled this spring producing a filly by The Autumn Sun.

Knight’s Choice is the fourth Group I winner for Extreme Choice, who has the happy knack of being able to upgrade a pedestrian mare to produce a serious stakes horse, although now standing at a fee of $275,000, he no longer needs that talent given the bevy of elite mares that roll the dice each year to be covered by the son of Not a Single Doubt.

Extreme Choice runs at 12.3% SW to runner and has sired 13 stakes-winners in a stud career impacted by his limited fertility, but made all the more special by his unique talents.

Extreme Choice stands at Newgate alongside two of his sire sons in Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside and Group winner Tiger of Malay.

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Race Result - Lexus Melbourne Cup Gr1 3200m

Flemington Track: Good(4) Time: 3:19.53
1
Knight's Choice
- 5g Extreme Choice (AUS) x Midnight Pearl (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: J G Symons & S Laxon Rdr: R Dolan 51.5
2
0.1
Warp Speed
- 6h Drefong (USA) x Deep Love (JPN) (Deep Impact (JPN))
Tnr: Noboru Takagi Rdr: Akira Sugawara 54.5
3
0.9
Okita Soushi
- 7h Galileo (IRE) x Amicus (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Jamie Kah 51
4
1.3
Zardozi
- 4m Kingman (GB) x Chanderi (GB) (Dubawi (IRE))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: A Atzeni 51
5
1.7
Absurde
- 7g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Incroyable (USA) (Singspiel (IRE))
Tnr: W P Mullins Rdr: K Mc Evoy 52.5
6
2.7
Circle Of Fire
- 5h Almanzor (FR) x Fiery Sunset (GB) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: M Zahra 54.5
7
2.9
Fancy Man
- 7g Pride Of Dubai (AUS) x Fancy (IRE) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald Rdr: Ron Stewart 50
8
3.3
Land Legend
- 5g Galileo (IRE) x Landikusic (IRE) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Z Purton 53
9
3.5
Buckaroo
- 6g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Roheryn (IRE) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J Moreira 54.5
10
4.3
Kovalica
- 5g Ocean Park (NZ) x Vitesse (NZ) (Makfi (GB))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Damian Lane 53.5
11
5
Vauban
- 7g Galiway (GB) x Waldfest (GB) (Hurricane Run (IRE))
Tnr: W P Mullins Rdr: W Buick 55.5
12
5.4
Onesmoothoperator
- 7g Dialed In (USA) x Sueno D'oro (USA) (Medaglia D'oro (USA))
Tnr: Brian Ellison Rdr: Craig Williams 51
13
5.5
Valiant King
- 5g Roaring Lion (USA) x Assembly (USA) (Candy Ride (ARG))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: C Newitt 51
14
6
Sea King
- 6g Sea The Stars (IRE) x Pamona (IRE) (Duke Of Marmalade (IRE))
Tnr: H Eustace Rdr: H Doyle 50.5
15
7.8
Interpretation
- 7g Galileo (IRE) x Daldiyna (FR) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Teodore Nugent 50
16
9.5
Sharp 'n' Smart
- 5g Redwood (GB) x Queen Margaret (NZ) (Swiss Ace (AUS))
Tnr: Team Rogerson Rdr: M J Dee 53.5
17
10
Trust in You
- 6g Sweynesse (AUS) x Shinko Bay (NZ) (Shinko King (IRE))
Tnr: B Wallace & G Cooksley Rdr: M R Du Plessis 50
18
11
Mostly Cloudy
- 6g Harzand (IRE) x Clarinda (FR) (Montjeu (IRE))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: K Teetan 50
19
13.2
Manzoice
- 5g Almanzor (FR) x Choice (NZ) (Mastercraftsman (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Declan Bates 51
20
13.6
Positivity
- 4m Almanzor (FR) x Pussy O'reilly (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Andrew Forsman Rdr: Ms W Costin 50
21
14.1
The Map
- 6m Alpine Eagle (AUS) x This Moment (AUS) (Savoire Vivre (GB))
Tnr: D Clarken & O Macgillivray Rdr: Rachel King 50
22
15.3
Saint George
- 5h Roaring Lion (USA) x Lady Dragon (IRE) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Tyler Schiller 50
23
25.3
Just Fine
- 7g Sea The Stars (IRE) x Bint Almatar (USA) (Kingmambo (USA))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Jye McNeil 53
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