Blue Diamond Stakes favourite Extreme Choice will carry the topweight in the Group 3 $150,000 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Extreme Choice will carry the topweight of 58kg in the Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
Under the set weights and penalties conditions of the two year old race, Extreme Choice will carry 58kg and has drawn barrier seven in the nine horse field.
Damien Oliver takes the ride on the Not A Single Doubt colt and will use the Chairman’s Stakes to determine if he will stick with the Mick Price trained juvenile or choose stablemate Flying Artie in the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 27.
Extreme Choice is having his first run back since winning on debut the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Randwick on December 12 with Glyn Schofield in the saddle.
Price is happy with the way Extreme Choice has trained on since his Inglis Nursery win and expects him to win again.
“He had eighteen days off after that trip. He did really well, mentally he improved, he is really switched on and I think he is a better horse. More seasoned, a more professional two year old leading in,” Price told Racing Ahead.
“Damien rode him in a trial here, he just gave him a cosy little trial, that’s all the horse needed. He worked on the course proper here (Caulfield), he worked fantastic.”
“I have no excuses, the horse can win on Saturday and I would be disappointed if he doesn’t.”
David Hayes and Tom Dabernig have accepted with two youngsters, Highland Beat and More Than Ready colt Dam Ready.
Highland Beat, with Damian Lane to ride from barrier two, has had a freshen since running tenth of sixteen behind Capitalist in the $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 9 while Dam Ready, Luke Currie from barrier eight, is facing the starer for the first time.
Premiership winning trainer Peter Moody will saddle up two first starters, Reward For Effort gelding Gratwick, barrier five, and Exceed And Excel filly Mandee, barrier three.
The Robert Smerdon trained Pearl Congenial has drawn the outside barrier at nine with Craig Williams to ride.
The rest of the acceptors are the Clinton McDonald trained first starter Revolving Door, barrier six with Mark Zahra, Simlpy Invincible from the stable of Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison with Stephen Baster from barrier one and Michael Kent’s debutant Om Nom with Chris Parnham in the saddle from gate four.
