2016 Coolmore Stud Stakes Odds: Extreme Choice deserves to be favourite

Group 1 winning colt Extreme Choice’s odds have remained solid at the top of the market order for the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Extreme Choice, above, is at the top of the odds for the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Extreme Choice, above, is at the top of the odds for the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Extreme Choice is currently the $3.10 favourite for the Coolmore Stud Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au and trainer Mick Price agrees with the bookies and said that his colt is the one to beat.

“I think his last 200m, he’s the strongest finisher,” Price told the Herald Sun.

“It’s won him a Blue Diamond and a Moir and it will win him a Coolmore.”

Extreme Choice was a brilliant two year old as he showed in winning the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield during the Melbourne Autumn Carnival and then returned in the Spring as a three year old to win the Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 30 and Price is confident that form is good enough to beat the Sydney three year olds.

“We’ll spank them,” Price said.

Craig Newitt knows Extreme Choice extremely well and has been in the saddle for the Written Tycoon’s two Group 1 wins in the Blue Diamond Stakes and the Moir Stakes and will give him a great ride down the Flemington straight from barrier 3 in the nine horse field.

Price will also saddle up Flying Artie who is rated an $11 chance coming off a last start win in the Group 3 $350,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 12.

Cox Plate winning jockey Hugh Bowman replaces the suspended Damien Oliver on Flying Artie who has shown plenty of improvement since his first up win according to Price.

“The Coolmore Stud was the race these two horses have been set for since they’ve been two-year-olds,” Price said.

“I was planning on running Flying Artie first-up in the Coolmore Stakes but he came to hand quicker than what I expected,”

“That run has done him the world of good.”

Sydney colt Astern is on the second line of betting at $3.40 and trainer John O’Shea has him primed to redeem himself after a surprise first up defeat by Russian Revolution in the Group 2 $300,000 The Star Roman Consul (1200m) at Randwick on October 1.

“I can’t fault him, he’s settled in well and trialled very nicely since coming to Melbourne,” O’Shea said.

On the third line of betting at $4 is the Team Hawkes trained Star Turn who has also settled into his Melbourne environment with a win against the older horses in the Group 2 $400,000 Mitsubishi Electric Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on October 8.

Unfortunately Golden Slipper winner Capitalist won’t be able to take his place in the star studded field of three year olds after he was scratched from the Coolmore Stud Stakes this morning after suffering a stone bruise to his near for foot.

Coolmore Stud Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.10 Extreme Choice, $3.40 Astern, $4 Star Turn, $10 Russian Revolution, $11 Flying Artie, $31 Saracino, $41 Derryn, Archives, $67 Monolo Blahniq.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.