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17.
Choisir July Cup 1:
Aust Sprinter 2nd In UK Gr1
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11/7/2003 |
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Australian
sprinter Choisir (Danehill Dancer-Great Selection, by Lunchtime) attempted to
lead all-the-way, but finished a gallant 2nd behind Juddmonte Farms 3YO homebred
colt Oasis Dream (Green Desert-Hope, by Dancing Brave) in the Gr1 July Cup (6
furlongs) at Newmarket in England overnight. Oasis Dream (3rd behind Choisir in
the Kings Stand Stakes at Ascot last month) won by 1.5 lengths, with top UK
filly Airwave (by Air Express) 3rd. Choisir (ridden by Johnny Murtagh) started
9-4 favourite, with Airwave (Keiron Fallon) 2nd pick at 11-4 & Oasis Dream
(Richard Hughes) next in the betting at 9-2. “The victory was the 105th in a
Gr1 stakes event for Saudi Arabian Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte
stable,” noted thoroughbredtimes.com. (July 11)
Trainer Perry’s Comments
Choisir’s trainer Paul Perry told racingpost.co.uk after the race: “The
winner was the fresh horse, trained for the race. But we’ve come over &
done our job. It’s been a great effort for a horse that’s done a fair bit.
He really wasn’t trained with the race in mind, but stayed on for it & ran
well. We’re really happy with him. I suppose you take into consideration he
has had the long trip, & a good bit of racing before he came, & it was
never the plan to run. If we could have put him into quarantine, we would never
have planned to run here. It takes a lot out of a horse. It was a courageous run
to do what he did. We’re not going to stay for the Nunthorpe. He will go into
quarantine next week.” (July 11)
Winning Trainer’s Comments
And Oasis Dream’s trainer John Gosden told racingpost.co.uk: “What Choisir
achieved at Royal Ascot was so phenomenal. I admire the horse. He’s been
beaten before. He beat us at Ascot, although we weren’t ready then, but we had
to get on the track. We were basically prepping there to come here. That was a
Gr2 with a penalty. This is a Gr1, but I don’t feel like a spoilsport. It’s
great to take on a tough nut like that. We knew when we attacked him up the hill
he was going to come back at us & not give in easily. What I liked about it
was that it was a hell of a horse race. We knew we had to go out & attack
Choisir, because he is an exceptional sprinter." Gosden also added: “The
great thing about this is that Choisir has elevated the whole status of
Australian breeding, come to Europe, knocked us on the head at Royal Ascot, the
perfect place to do it to the Poms, & we’ve levelled the score here. As
far as I’m concerned, it’s like a Test Match. Let’s have a few more.”
(July 11)
UK Media Comments
UK racing reporter Marcus Townend summed up for racenet.com.au: “Choisir was a
bit of a novelty when he first came out, because we more used to seeing our
horses head down to Australia for the Melbourne Cup. Maybe our trainers will
start getting nervous next year, if there's a block-booking of Australian
sprinters heading over! He ran a phenomenally tough race. He tried his heart
out, but in the end Oasis Dream has turned the tables on him." Choisir was
bidding “to become the 1st horse since Diadem in 1920 to win the King’s
Stand Stakes, Golden Jubilee Stakes & July Cup in the same season,” noted
racingpost.co.uk. (July 11)
Oasis Dream Is Top Class
Choisir’s conqueror Oasis Dream (carrying 56.5kg compared to Choisir’s
59.5kg) had won England’s Gr1 Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes last year at
Newmarket en route to earning 2YO high-weight colt honors on the English Free
Handicap. Overall he has now won 3 of 6 starts. Oasis Dream is a half-brother to
last year's French Gr1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Zenda; & their dam
is a sister to Gr1 Irish Oaks winner Wemyss Bight. The winner’s sire Green
Desert (Danzig-Foreign Courier, by Sir Ivor) stands at Shadwell Stud in Norfolk.
(July 11)
More Australians Will Follow
Trainer Paul Perry also told racingpost.co.uk that the exploits of Choisir (a
$55,000 purchase at the Inglis 2001 Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney) will
inevitably lead to more Australian-trained horses being campaigned in Europe,
adding: “This has been a tremendous, fabulous experience for us. There will
definitely be more interest from Australia. A lot of people have taken
interest.” (July 11)
Has He Been Sold?
Finally thoroughbredinternet.com reported this morning that “with the sweat
barely dry” on the July Cup runners, “the deal to purchase 3YO Australian
sprinter Choisir, a gallant 2nd in Europe's premier 6-furlong sprint, has
already been done. One of Europe's leading breeding farms, with an Australian
arm, is believed to have won the race to secure the dual Gr1 winning son of
Danehill Dancer, beating off an offer from a prominent Australian farm in a deal
reputed to be worth A$10 million before the start” of last night's race.
“Breeding sheds in 2 hemispheres await.” (July 11)
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