The Mick Price-trained pair Extreme Choice (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) and Flying Artie (Aus) (Artie Schiller) were handed no favors for Saturday's A$1.5 million G1 Blue Diamond S. when it came to the barrier draw, landing in gates 11 and 15, respectively, but the early race favourites nonetheless pulled through to hand the stable the quinella, with Extreme Choice and jockey Craig Newitt holding off his troubled but talented stablemate. Away from the gates in good order, Extreme Choice settled fourth, about three paths off the rail and two lengths off the lead, as Highland Beat (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) streaked to the front to set the pace from Areti (Aus) (Street Sense) and Flying Artie sat slightly worse than midpack in the middle of the track. In the clear coming off the turn while Flying Artie was compromised and hung nearly 10-wide, Extreme Choice inhaled the frontrunners while still under a handride at the 300 metre mark. Flying Artie gobbled up ground with every stride as Extreme Choice drew clear of the rest largely under hand urging, but the runner-up ran out of time at the line. Extreme Choice provided Price and Newitt their second Blue Diamond win as a combination after Samaready (Aus) (More Than Ready) won in 2012. Price confirmed after the race that both colts would be pointed to the A$3.5 million G1 Golden Slipper Mar. 19. Flying Artie would have to be supplemented for A$150,000.
“They are two good colts, but all credit to Extreme Choice because today was the day where he had the opportunity to really stand up,” said Price. “Today we got a lot of information about the horse, and off to the Slipper. I have got plenty of horse left in both of them, they haven't been bottomed out by today I wouldn't think. That little horse [Extreme Choice], when he hit the line like he did, no doubt about 1200 metres; it just stamped him as a really, really good colt. He is like a Ferrari; they have got big motors and that's what he is.”
In winning Saturday, Extreme Choice was extending his unbeaten record to four in the first Group 1 for juveniles in Australia and Victoria's most important 2-year-old contest. A two-length victor on debut at Randwick going 1000 metres Dec. 12, the chestnut was shelved until the G3 Chairman's S. three weeks ago, when he romped by 4 1/2 lengths over Highland Beat under Damien Oliver. Oliver, after riding Flying Artie to win the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude a week later, was faced with the difficult but enviable decision of which colt to partner for the Blue Diamond. He sided with Flying Artie before the draw took place on the merit of the colt's expected ability to stay the trip, and Extreme Choice proved the distance–which is also the trip of the Golden Slipper–was not a problem for him either.
“He's just a jet,” Newitt told Racing.com. “He's like a 10-year-old–all he wants to do is please you. He's got a motor-and-a-half.”
“I was caught four- and five-wide then, but I knew I only had one corner to go around, so I just had to keep him balanced,” the rider added. “This is our [with Price] second one, and obviously it was well-documented [Damien Oliver] had the choice, and went the other way. It's a nice pick-up.”
Extreme Choice's dam, Extremely, has a yearling filly by Duporth (Aus) and foaled a Smart Missile (Aus) colt last year. Extreme Choice is the latest feather in the cap of Arrowfield sire Not A Single Doubt (Aus), who was propelled to the top of the country's general sire table yesterday courtesy of Extreme Choice, Group 1 placegetter Fell Swoop (Aus) and three other group placegetters. Not A Single Doubt stood last year for A$33,000.
Henry Field's Newgate Farm, which is quickly building up a strong stallion roster in the Hunter Valley, bought into Extreme Choice last week.
Saturday, Caulfield, Australia
BLUE DIAMOND S.-G1, A$1,515,000, MRC, 2-27, 2yo, Open Set Weight, 1200mT, 1:08.95, Good.
1–&EXTREME CHOICE, 56.5, c, 2, by Not a Single Doubt
1st Dam: Extremely, by Hussonet (USA)
2nd Dam: Going to Extremes (USA), by Nasty and Bold (USA)
3rd Dam: Ole Bow Wower (USA), by Ole Bob Bowers (USA)
(A$100,000 Ylg 2015 WI Classic Yearling Sale – Summer)
O-Clarke Kent Syndicate, A Staver, M J Davidson, M J Ward, G
G B Macdonald, D M Foley, G D Jones, A R Davis, Dr A J
Bongiorno, Moonshine Syndicate, D A Turner, Mrs K D Greer,
Mrs L W; B-Bell River Thoroughbreds NSW; T-M G Price; J-C
Newitt; A$915,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, A$1,299,750.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+.
2–Flying Artie, 56.5, c, 2, Artie Schiller (USA)–Flying Ruby, by
Rubiton. (A$50,000 Ylg 2015 WI Sydney Easter Yearling Sale)
O-Luskin Park Stud Racing Syndicate (Mgr: P F Whelan), Aston
Bloodstock Syndicate (Mgr: W J Mula), Mrs R J Mula, J M
Whelan, S P Whelan, Ms C Morgan & Ms B M Whelan; B-Mr J
Shannon VIC; T-M G Price; J-D Oliver; A$270,000.
3–Zamzam, 54.5, f, 2, Redoute's Choice–Fleur De'here (NZ), by
Dehere (USA). (A$920,000 Ylg 2015 WI Sydney Easter Yearling
Sale) O-Shadwell Stud Australasia Ltd Syndicate (Mgr: G M
Kelly); B-S F Bloodstock L L C NSW; T-David Hayes & Tom
Dabernig; J-Nicholas Hall; A$135,000.
Margins: 1.8 len, 6.1 len, 6.9 len. Odds: 1.70, 4.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Power Trip, Star Turn, Sweet Sherry, Kinetic Design, Miss Nymeria, Concealer, Highland Beat, Valliano, China Dream, Areti, Samara Dancer (NZ), Hey Doc, Hell of an Effort.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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