Extreme Choice to spell, will be set for the Coolmore Stud Stakes

Beaten Golden Slipper favourite Extreme Choice will head to the paddock before being prepared for the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Extreme Choice, above, will be sent for a spell before being prepared for the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Extreme Choice, above, will be sent for a spell before being prepared for the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Extreme Choice was put out the race at the start when he was slow to leave the barriers and then got squeezed out to settle near with the tailenders before making up some ground in the straight to finish eighth to Capitalist in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill last Saturday.

While trainer Mick Price said that Extreme Choice has come through the run okay, he will still be sent for a break before being prepared for a Spring Carnival campaign.

“He pulled up OK but he’ll go straight to the paddock and be set for the Coolmore in the spring,” Price told racing.com.

Extreme Choice was sent out the as the punter’s pick in the Golden Slipper after winning the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 27 in dynamic fashion.

But the favourite backers knew that they were in trouble from the very first stride when the Not A Single Doubt colt bungle the start and then only had two horses behind him at the 1000m instead of stalking the leaders in third or fourth possy.

After having a trouble free Golden Slipper preparation, it was disappointing for Price and the rest of the connections to see their colt out of contention so early in the race.

“He was a neck slow and then got pressure from the outside in and the inside out, which had him on the wrong leg for the first half of the race,” Price said.

“The whole race was just a disaster.”

Extreme Choice had gone into the Golden Slipper with three wins on the board from three race starts and as well as winning the Blue Diamond Stakes, had won the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Randwick on December 12 and the Group 3 $150,000 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on February 6.

Extreme Choice looks likely to clash with Golden Slipper winner Capitalist again in the Spring with co-trainers Peter and Paul Snowden also likely to target the Coolmore Stud Stakes with the Written Tycoon colt.

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.