Set to stand at Newgate Farm this spring at a fee of $275,000 making him the most expensive sire in Australia, Extreme Choice closed out the season with a new stakes-winner courtesy of promising three year-old gelding Extremely Lucky capturing the Listed SAJC Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville.
Trained by Will Clarken, Extremely Lucky was having his first run back after a short break having won by more than four lengths over the same course back in May.
Extremely Lucky was allowed to settle last by Todd Pannell after jumping from an outside gate and unleashed an explosive turn of foot to zoom past his rivals like they were tied to the fence.
He won by a length eased down and could not have been more impressive.
“He’s so quiet and composed. You’d walk past his box every time. He’s not an oil painting but he’s just got an amazing change of gear and I hope he can go to where I think he can,” said Will Clarken.
"We’d like to go heading down the path of going over and taking on some of the better horses in Melbourne.”
Clarken has a long range plan to target the Group I MVRC Moir Stakes (1000m) on September 23, a race won by his sire Extreme Choice in 2016 and will look to test his mettle in several stakes races in Melbourne along the way
Winning rider Todd Pannell believes Extremely Lucky has what it takes to make his mark in better races.
"I haven’t ridden a horse like this for quite a while now," he said.
"The horse switches off and goes to sleep and quickens off the bridle as well.
"He doesn’t spend any energy in the early stages of the race so that is why he’s got such an electric turn of foot.
"He’s a very small horse, but he’s got a very big engine."
Extremely Lucky was withdrawn by Mill Park from Inglis Premier to be sold privately and has now won three of five starts earning over $123,000.
Bred by SA breeders Brenton and Liz Parker, Extremely Lucky is the best of four winners from Tamarind Lane, an unraced half-sister by Stratum to Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap winner Zip Zip Array and Zipanese from the family of multiple Group I winners Niconero and Nicconi.
Tamarind Lane has a weanling colt by All Too Hard and was not covered last spring.
Extremely Lucky is the eighth stakes-winner for Extreme Choice, whose stakes-winner to runner strike rate is 18.6% and is his first runner and winner to feature a double cross of Redoute’s Choice.
Extreme Choice is the leading second crop sire in Australia this season by stakes-winners with six on the board, four of them Group winners headed by Group I ATC Champagne Stakes winning 2YO She’s Extreme.
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