Talented Easter 2YO Tiger Of Malay (Extreme Choice) firmed from $21 into $7 with TAB for the G1 JJ Atkins in a fortnight following a strong win in the $1m G2 BRC Sires Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm.
It was a first career Stakes success for the valuable Michael and Richard Freedman-trained colt, who won the Kirkham Plate on debut and has raced against the best juveniles ever since.
Bred by Bridie O’Bree, Tiger Of Malay is a $255,000 purchase for China Horse Club and Newgate Farm from last year’s Virtual Easter Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Tyreel Stud.
Tiger Of Malay (pictured) joins the likes of Acrobat, Home Affairs, O’President and Joyous Legend as high-class graduates of the 2020 Virtual Easter Yearling Sale, further assuring the status of the sale as Australasia’s most potent source of high-class juvenile talent.
His win continues a huge season for outstanding young stallion Extreme Choice – himself an Inglis Classic graduate – sire of G1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside who was purchased in utero at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale by Matthew Sandblom’s Kingstar Farm.
There are five progeny of Extreme Choice at next month’s Great Southern Weanling Sale at Oaklands on June 13 and 14.
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Newgate’s Henry Field described the stallion “a freak’’ and Tiger Of Malay “a star’’.
“Extreme Choice statistically may be the best stallion in the southern hemisphere,’’ a delighted Field said.
“To have two sons of his in Tiger Of Malay and Stay Inside primed to stand at Newgate next year already is a great result.
“Tiger Of Malay is such a versatile horse. We were lucky to get to Tyreel a couple of times during Covid last year to see him and [SF Bloodstock’s] Gavin Murphy in particular really liked him, so he wasn’t a horse we were going to get outbid on.
“We push onto the JJ Atkins now and while you never know if they’re going to run a mile until you try them, we’re all extremely confident the step up in distance won’t be an issue.’’
A thrilled Linda Monds of Tyreel added: “It was only a matter of time before he did what he did today - he’s shown plenty of form right through his 2YO campaign and he’s always had plenty of ability.
“With Covid, everybody that got to inspect him on the farm absolutely loved him.
“He was one of those horses that had the wow factor, he was very strong and did look like an early runner, which he’s proven already.
“He’ll go around close enough to favourite now in the G1 JJ Atkins and hopefully he can add a big one to his resume.’’
Meanwhile in New Zealand earlier today, the 2YO Atullibigeal (Street Boss) destroyed his opposition when easily winning the Listed Futurity Stakes at Ellerslie.
It was the juvenile’s second run at Stakes level and came after a narrow second in a Listed race five weeks ago.
Trained by Carl Henderson, Atullibigeal is a $40,000 Great Southern weanling purchase for Ben Kwok/Bevan Smith Bloodstock, when offered by Swettenham Stud, with Kwok retaining a share in the ownership for today’s win.
The 2019 Great Southern Sale proved a fruitful hunting ground for Kwok and Smith, who also sourced G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes winner On The Bubbles for $60,000 from the sale.
Street Boss is another stallion to be enjoying a fantastic season and he has four offspring catalogued for the Great Southern Weanling Sale
