KNIGHT'S CHOICE'S VALUES SOARS AFTER GUINEAS WIN

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, July 5, 2023

When the John Symons and Sheila Laxon trained Knight’s Choice won the Group 3 Winx Guineas at the Sunshine Coast on July 1, it was a particularly valuable victory both in terms of actual prize-money earned and banked (first place was worth $174 000), and in terms of the gelding’s market value (with a pre-race offer to purchase being doubled post-race to over $2 million).

“The owner doesn’t want to sell,” said Laxon. “He wants his father to enjoy the buzz.

“That’s what you are in the game for ... to find a good horse, and, to sell them when you do find the one? Well, they are not going to. They want to stay part of the ride.”

The Guineas was Knight’s Choices’ seventh career start and his fourth successive victory ... but, it wasn’t all plain sailing in the fledgling, start out period of the son of Extreme Choices career.

Knight’s Choice did not race as a two-year-old, but he did trial twice in that season (in May and June 2022) in which he showed to little effect.

“He was still weak and immature at that stage,” explained Laxon.

“We put him out to grow and develop and we decided to geld him. He came back in. He doesn’t really show a lot in trackwork and even in his early races ... I mean, he did get beaten in a Kilcoy Maiden in his second start but, thankfully, things have progressed pretty nicely from there.

It was, in fact, all of ten months after those first two trails, on April 4, 2023, that Knight’s Choice trialled again, this time showing more with a runner-up finish in that trial ... which was a satisfactory enough result for Symons and Laxon to give the now three-year-old his first taste of race action.

But even here, just as Knight’s Choice had been allowed time in the paddock to develop, so too did a little patience have to exercised by his connections as he set about the task of learning his trade and furnishing into a formidable racehorse that he quickly was to become ... and that, as with all good stables, was brought into being by a good career management strategy ... with the progressive route that had been plotted by Symons and Laxon now there for all to see.

Knight Choices’ first run was over 1000m (finishing seventh). The second run was over 1200m (finishing fourth). The third over 1350m (finishing second) ... those results indicating a steady, measured buildup in both distance, fitness and race experience until Knight’s Choice was ready to strike ... duly landing his first career win in his fourth start, which came just a month after his debut run, this time over the 1600m trip.

From there, Knight’s Choice would go on to show just how much he relished that distance by adding another three wins to his name over the mile, extending his current unbeaten record to four straight wins with that Guineas victory.

“He was a work in progress, building up to what he did in the Guineas ... and what he did in the Guineas was phenomenal,” said Laxon, taking up the story again. “He made them look ordinary.

“You don’t want to get ahead of yourself, but you have to start thinking about top of the ladder races like the Cox Plate. Once a horse stamps his ability, you have got to look at the top rung, and try to guide a path for him to go there if he can. If he doesn’t come up to that, there are plenty of other options.”

“There is a long way to go to get there, but he’ll let us know when he comes back in whether he might be up to that sort of challenge, or not. There’s nothing wrong with thinking about it.

And what is Knight’s Choice like to deal with in terms of his character and temperament?

“He’s just a regular dude. he wouldn’t even know he is in the stable,” answered Laxon. “He’s little. He appears insignificant ... of course, he is not ... he is just a horse that is pleasant to deal with.

“We trained his mum, Midnight Pearl. She used to be the same. She won nine races. She was very capable and Knight’s Choice’s sire, Extreme Choice, he is going amazingly well, so there is enough in his pedigree to get excited about.

“And it is exciting.

“We’ve still got little shares available in horses and when I talk to people I say, come on board and enjoy the trip.

“If you haven’t raced a horse there is nothing quite like it.”
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Jaden Lloyd, who has partnered Knight’s Choice in his last two wins (Micheal Hellyer did the honours in the geldings first two wins) can vouch for that excitement level.

The Group 3 Guineas win was Lloyd’s first Group race winning ride ... and boy did he celebrate in an adrenaline fuelled, extravagant salute in the saddle as Knight’s Choice powered across the line.

“It was an unbelievable win”, exclaimed Lloyd, “especially, to do it for John and Sheila.

“They have been great supporters of mine ... and to do it on a horse that has got a lot upside ... it was a great thrill. I did get very excited.

“Knight’s Choice has got such a sprint on him. I haven’t sat on a horse that can go from zero to a hundred like he can.

“I was in an awkward spot and for him to just quicken like that and get me out of trouble ... he is very special.

“I was four back ... buried on the fence ... and in something like two strides his acceleration got me out in the clear and then I knew. We just let rip and he was too good for them.”

So, was that salute, relief or just pure ecstasy?

“A bit of both,” responded Lloyd. ‘Obviously, having won on him before, I knew he was pretty special even though he sort of only does what he has to do.

“None of his previous wins were electrifying or anything like that. He only won by a length in midweek, but he gave me a lovely feel that day, so I was very confident going into the Guineas.

“Obviously we were against a lot harder opposition than before, but I was confident in his ability to win the race and he proved me right.”

*Knight’s Choice is currently a four-time winner from seven starts with prize-money totalling $236 150 ... all earned in just nine weeks of racing!

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