A half-brother to Group I winner Invincibella and classy Group III winning stayer Secret Blaze, talented three year-old Extreme Choice colt Extreme Flight became the third stakes-winner for his dam Abscond when taking out the Listed MRC Gothic Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Extreme Flight won his two previous starts at Moe and Sandown and was sent to the post as favourite for his first attempt at a Black Type race.
Ridden patiently by Damien Thornton, who has partnered him at his two previous wins, Extreme Flight hit the line hard from back in the field and had enough left to hold off a determined bid from runner-up Prince Alexander to win by half a head with six lengths back to the third horse.
“He was really good, he’s improved that bit every time I’ve ridden him,” said Thornton.
“He quickened really well and got to the front a long way out and then stargazed and wanted to float. I couldn’t hear the other horse coming, so we were a bit lucky to hold on.”
A $340,000 Inglis Easter purchase for his trainers from the Sledmere Stud draft, Extreme Flight was the highest priced yearling for his sire sold in 2020.
Bred by Andrew Grant-Taylor, Extreme Flight has done a great job in his first preparation with three wins and a third from five starts with prizemoney just shy of $200,000.
He is a half-brother to $3million earner Invincibella, who sold for $1.2million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale last year, as well as Group III winner Secret Blaze being the third stakes-winner from top producer Abscond, an unraced Galileo mare from the family of Group I SAJC Adelaide Cup winner The Hind.
Abscond has a two year-old Spirit of Boom colt that sold for $275,000 at Inglis Easter this year and has a yearling filly by Russian Revolution. She was covered last spring by Invincibella’s sire I Am Invincible.
Extreme Flight is the fifth stakes-winner for Newgate Farm’s Extreme Choice, who was the Champion First Crop Sire and Champion 2YO Sire last season.
Those five stakes-winners have come from 22 starters which puts him at a remarkable 22.7% stakes-winner to runners!
A stallion with well documented fertility issues, he stands at a private fee.
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