Latest news with #ExtremeChoice
Herald Sun
09-08-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Unbeaten filly Esha sets up big spring carnival with spectacular return at The Valley
Trainer Shane Nichols is excited about the possibilities for his unbeaten filly Esha after her commanding win at The Valley. Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Shane Nichols believes he has the ingredients for a profitable spring with Esha after the speedy filly remained unbeaten at The Valley. Esha easily won her maiden on debut in South Australia in March but had little trouble bringing that form to Melbourne Saturday grade in the 3YO Handicap (1000m). A quick beginning left Esha to find the lead easily inside 200m before dashing away to post her second win from as many starts by a comfortable 3½ lengths. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Nichols said his confidence increased when rival filly Bacash was pushed to stay in touch with Esha a long way from home. 'I suppose when Bacash was niggling up outside her just to stay in touch early, I thought we were in a pretty good position,' Nichols said. 'She quickened up like we saw in her trials and we saw in Adelaide. 'When they're short, you like them to do what they're supposed to and she did what she's supposed to do. 'I think we've got the ingredients of a really nice filly going forward.' — 7HorseRacing 🎠(@7horseracing) August 9, 2025 Saturday's $150,000 was the first in what could be a lengthy spring campaign for the Extreme Choice filly. Nichols said he would consider a trip to Sydney for a Group 2 race for Esha's next start but he also wanted to test the daughter of his former stable star I Am A Star on other circuits. 'Potentially, she could go to the Silver Shadow in Sydney in two weeks at 1200(m),' Nichols said. 'But her (welfare comes) first, there's a long spring ahead. 'There's a lot of opportunities for a three-year-old filly so I'm mindful of the fact that if we do win a fillies stakes race, we get penalties against the boys. 'I would like to let her have a look at the straight. 'There's a whole lot of things I'd like to cram into a period so getting it right is the tricky bit.' Petit Artiste completed a Mornington-trained quinella when he ran on soundly to grab second ahead of the consistent Oyster Lane, from the Ciaron Maher stable. Originally published as Shane Nichols filly Esha sets up big spring carnival with spectacular return at The Valley Horse Racing The decision to abandon the Group 2 Missile Stakes has perplexed trainers after the Premier's Cup Prelude was moved from Saturday's called off Randwick meeting. Horse Racing After nearly 16 months on the sidelines, Group 1-winning sprinter Queman will make his return in Saturday's Group 3 Behemoth Stakes at Morphettville.
News.com.au
29-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Blake Ryan is hopeful Lady Extreme can get some black type in the Ramornie Handicap
Trainer Blake Ryan is ready to put next month's Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton in his crosshairs following his bombproof mare Lady Extreme's latest success at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Lady Extreme continued her perfect start to this preparation with a determined win to finish the day in the Chandon Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m). The daughter of Extreme Choice has been a marvel for Ryan in recent times, missing the placings just once in her 11-start career. She is a stable favourite and Ryan is eager to raise the bar high for the rising six-year-old in a bid to enhance her value in the breeding barn later in her career. 'I have worked with a lot of better horses and Group 1 horses but I'd don't think I've ever worked with one that gives you as much as this mare,' Ryan said. 'There is not a lot of her either but I love her. 'We will give her a nomination for the Ramornie Handicap now. Whether she has enough ratings points to get in or if she is good enough is another thing but she has got three wins in town now. 'Luke (Wilkinson) her owner is a breeder so the only thing we can do now is chase a bit of black type so that's her next task.' The Ramornie Handicap is one of the final stakes races of the season in New South Wales and headlines day one of Grafton's two-day carnival on July 16. Lady Extreme put herself in the frame for the stakes tilt after backing up her first-up Midway victory in style on McKell Cup Day. Lady Extreme just gets there in the last! @AlyshaCollett @blakeryan86 — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) June 28, 2025 Jockey Alysha Collett was able to take full advantage of a favourable inside draw to score in the shadows of the post. 'It worked out great in the run, they didn't look to go that hard and weren't urgent to cross her,' Ryan said. 'Alysha (Collett) summed it up terrific. 'It was a little bit touch and go at the top of the straight but when the run came I thought she'd get there and then maybe she won't. 'She just doesn't know how to lay down.' Meanwhile, Ryan will bring his promising two-year-old Just Awesome to town next Saturday with the debut winner poised to be nominated for the 2YO Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens. The smart son of Written Tycoon made the perfect start to his career in a tough all-the-way victory at Gosford last month. Next Saturday's 10-event program will be headlined by the Listed $200,000 Winter Stakes (1400m).
News.com.au
27-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Blake Ryan rapt with ‘honest' mare Lady Extreme ahead of Rosehill Gardens test
Proven performer Lady Extreme has given trainer Blake Ryan every indication she's ready to back up her slashing first-up performance at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Lady Extreme is one of the most consistent horses in Ryan's barn and can make it back-to-back victories in the Chandon Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m). The daughter of Extreme Choice was an excellent first-up winner at Midway grade last month. Ryan gave her a month to get over the run and hopes it can pay significant dividends in the final event on the program. 'She was terrific first-up and is as honest as you can find a horse anywhere,' Ryan said. 'I've been really happy with her the past couple of weeks. I had her in the other week but pulled her out. 'I wasn't convinced she was ready to be back at the races but have been really happy with her this week and I am happy with her as I was first-up.' Lady Extreme swoops on them to take the Midway at Rosehill first up! ðŸ'¨ @blakeryan86 | @AlyshaCollett | @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 31, 2025 Lady Extreme reaped the benefits of being ridden colder last start before surging late to get up. Despite drying barrier one, Ryan is eager for jockey Alysha Collett to take a similar approach. 'I don't want to be too close,' Ryan said. 'We've had the opinion all the way along to ride her like we did the other day with Alysha on her, let the speed go and have one crack at them. 'Where she had drawn in the past has forced our hand going forward and a lot of people think she is a speed horse, but she's not.' Lady Extreme's record of three wins and six placings from 10 starts has already made her a promising broodmare prospect. A win on Saturday could see Ryan attempt to make her even more valuable. 'If she happened to win on Saturday and it's half pie-in-the-sky stuff but she would be a three-time city winning mare by Extreme Choice so the only thing left to do would be to try and get black type,' he said. 'It's 17 days to the Ramornie (at Grafton) from Saturday and if she won I'd nominate her but she mightn't get enough points to get into that field.'
News.com.au
18-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
'Her best is good enough to beat anyone': Jockey Craig Newitt eyes Group 1 glory with Pride Of Jenni
Jockey Craig Newitt has personal and professional motivations to toast Group 1 success on Saturday in the Doomben Cup aboard favourite Pride Of Jenni. Personally, Newitt, one of the hardest working riders in Victoria, is hungry to build on an enviable Group 1 tally while professionally, he wants to get Pride Of Jenni back to where she belongs. Newitt crammed 33 Group 1 wins in a decade from 2006 but has gone without since he partnered boom colt-turned-stallion Extreme Choice to victory in the 2016 Moir Stakes. The 40-year-old father of five has the best chance in a long time to end the drought in Brisbane. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'This is what we do it for,' Newitt said. 'To try and find these sort of horses, she did it at her peak without me riding her but they never lose their ability, she's a little bit older now, but I still firmly believe she can (still) win Group 1 races. 'It's been nearly nine years since my last Group 1, hopefully she can deliver one on Saturday.' Pride Of Jenni is a $3.50 favourite in all-in markets to win the Doomben Cup from Antino ($4), Buckaroo ($6) and Fawkner Park ($8). Newitt has piloted Pride Of Jenni to victory in two of three starts since her comeback in March after being retired last spring following a setback. Pride Of Jenni returns with a bang at Caulfield as she goes all the way to take out the Listed Anniversary Vase 🙌 @cmaherracing @craig_newitt â€' (@Racing) May 3, 2025 • Gilbert Gardiner's horses to follow, forgive from Flemington on Saturday His big race experience and craft on leaders like Pride Of Jenni central to the new association. Jockey Declan Bates rode Pride Of Jenni exclusively since she burst onto the scene in the 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival with successive Group 1 wins in the Empire Rose and Champions Mile. Ben Melham replaced Bates for the Champion Mile last year and pulled up the mare after she bled. Newitt had ridden Pride Of Jenni once previously when they almost pinched the 2023 Group 2 Stocks Stakes won by the fast-finishing short-priced favourite Amelia's Jewel. "Bring on the Cox Plate." Amelia's Jewel glides to the post to take out the Stocks Stakes ðŸ'Ž @Simon_Miller_ @LaneDamian â€' (@Racing) September 29, 2023 'I haven't had the big success on her yet, hopefully that's next Saturday,' Newitt said. Pride Of Jenni won the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) but found the two-week back-up into the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) beyond her. She returned after a five-week freshen to win the Listed Anniversary Vase (1600m) with 61kg. Newitt will head to Cranbourne on Monday to gallop Pride Of Jenni. 'I'll give her a final gallop Monday morning and she'll be on the plane Tuesday,' Newitt said. 'I worked her last week, she's going well, so full steam ahead. 'We know she's got the ability … it's a matter of getting her there in the right frame of mind and in A-1 condition – if that's right at the start line I'm sure she'll make it an exciting race. 'She's a champion mare in her own right, she's just got to turn up and deliver her best and her best is good enough to beat anyone.'
Daily Telegraph
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Telegraph
Stand-alone pioneer Hawkesbury Race Club deserves a big-money feature
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting, the pioneer of the popular and successful concept, deserves to have a big-money race. Hawkesbury celebrates its 20th anniversary on Saturday and boasts the strongest program of all the stand-alone meetings with three Group 3 races worth $250,000 prizemoney each and a Listed race of $200,000. But the stand-alone meetings at other venues have bigger prizemoney races including $1 million features at Newcastle (The Hunter) and Kembla Grange (The Gong), and $500,000 races at Wyong (The Lakes) and Gosford (The Coast). • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Perhaps the era of stakes increases is over for the immediate future but Hawkesbury is entitled to have a principal race with at least $500,000 prizemoney. While Hawkesbury Race Club chief executive James Heddo acknowledged the quality of the current race program, he said: 'I'm more than happy at the appropriate time to sit down with Racing NSW to see if there is an opportunity to add a new race to the card.'' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I felt for Shane Dye after he was lambasted on social media for daring to declare Ka Ying Rising a better sprinter than the legendary Black Caviar or former Hong Kong champion Silent Witness. Dye, a Hall of Fame jockey, is certainly entitled to his opinion and whether he is right or wrong, only time will tell. But I decided to ask Timeform guru Gary Crispe for his expert view on the comparison as he was trackside for Ka Ying Rising's win in the Chairman's Sprint Prize in Hong Kong last Sunday. • Smith's 'unbelievable' win on game-changing day for NSW racing 'Ka Ying Rising is a very good horse but my first impression was that he reminded me of Hay List,'' Crispe said. 'My opinion is Black Caviar would be too good for Ka Ying Rising, just as she was always too good for Hay List.'' The Timeform ratings supported Crispe's assessment with Black Caviar earning a lofty 136 figure while Kay Ying Rising is on 132, the same peak rating returned by both Hay List and Silent Witness. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Newgate Farm's super sire Extreme Choice is standing at an equal Australian record fee of $330,000 in the spring breeding season. Extreme Choice, only the second stallion to sire the winners of the Golden Slipper (Stay Inside, 2021) and Melbourne Cup (Knight's Choice, 2024), has the same fee Redoute's Choice commanded in 2007 and 2008. Extreme Choice will stand for an equal Australian record fee of $330,000 at Newgate Farm. Picture: Supplied This means Extreme Choice has the highest fee of any stallion in the southern hemisphere with Widden Stud's Zoustar and Darley's Too Darn Hot next on $275,000, then Arrowfield's Snitzel at $247,500 and Yarraman Park Stud's I Am Invincible at $220,000. The only other stallion to sire the winners of the Golden Slipper and Melbourne Cup was Sir Tristram. The legendary New Zealand-based Sir Tristram sired three Melbourne Cup winners with Gurner's Lane (1982), Empire Rose (1988) and Brew (2000), plus a Golden Slipper with Marauding (1987). ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Racing Australia this week announced the increase of the mandatory minimum ban for any person found guilty of using an electronic device more commonly referred to as a 'jigger' on a racehorse. From Thursday, May 1, the amended rule means the minimum penalty period for jigger use is five years (up from two years). In other major rule changes, stewards Australia-wide have been given additional and wider powers on the frequency a horse is allowed to race. Under the new rule, a horse will not be allowed to race on consecutive days without approval from a Principal Racing Authority or its panel of stewards. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Trainer Ian Wilkes is attempting to become the first Australian to win the famous Kentucky Derby with Burnham Square at Churchill Downs on Sunday. Burnham Square was an impressive last start winner of the Blue Grass Stakes and is among the early favourites at $9.50 behind Journalism at $3.50 for the 'Run for the Roses'. Wilkes, whose brother Wayne is a leading NSW country trainer based at Taree, said Burnham Square has done well this week in the build-up to the three-year-old classic. • Shayne O'Cass's race-by-race tips, analysis for Hawkesbury on Saturday 'Everything is good, he is keeping a lid on it which is good,'' Wilkes told American reporters. 'He has to handle everything, the crowd, the long post parade. The mile and a quarter (a2000m) is no issue, it is just whether he is fast enough.'' Wilkes, 59, began his professional career working at Lindsay Park under legendary Hall of Fame trainer Colin Hayes before moving to America in the late 1980s. He teamed up with trainer Carl Nafzger and was associated with two Kentucky Derby winners, Unbridled (1990) as trackwork rider and then Street Sense (2007) as assistant trainer. Wilkes then started training in his own right with his biggest win in the 2012 Breeders Cup Classic with Fort Larned. He's also had Derby runners before but Burnham Square is clearly his best chance yet to win America's biggest race. 'I'm happy with the horse and I couldn't ask for a better draw (nine),'' Wilkes said. 'I'm seeing a horse that is thriving, he's moving forward and improving every time.'' Burnham Square will be ridden by Brian Hernandez who won last year's Kentucky Derby on Mystic Dan and the Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna. Originally published as Hawkesbury's strongest stand-alone program deserves to have a big-money race
