Versatile Kiwi-bred galloper Bankers Choice has provided himself with a shot at one of the biggest prizes on the Victorian spring racing calendar with victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Listed Mornington Cup (2400m).
The seven-year-old son of Mongolian Khan provided trainer Glen Thompson with his first solo victory since the shock passing of his co-trainer Mike Moroney when he won his last start at Caulfield.
Bankers Choice has often looked a capable stayer and Saturday’s victory was not only his second straight success over 2400m but the victory also makes him ballot exempt for the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) later this year.
Regular rider Daniel Stackhouse was all out to hold off a strong late challenge from the Ciaron Maher-trained Strawberry Rock who lunged late to get within a nose of Bankers Choice at the winning post.
Stable representative Anthony Feroce was all smiles as he provided a glowing report on the change to the horse who had gone through a form slump during the spring.
“It’s just amazing as last year the plan was to get him into the Caulfield Cup after he ran second in the Sandown Classic (Gr.2, 2400m) but he ran poorly during the spring,” Feroce said.
“He went out to Jake Noonan’s partner Mariah’s place and she freshened him up nicely, so a big thank you to her.
“Daniel gets on really well with him and when he jumped on him at Moonee Valley he decided to go forward on him, which worked out well and ever since he has been a different horse”.
“It worked out perfectly today as we got into the place we wanted (third) early on, although I thought he was tugging a little bit and he hit the wall. Thank God that post came up when it did”.
“We may look at Warrnambool (Cup, 2300m) next or we might just put him away until the spring. He is the sort of horse that seems to like continual racing so we will look at that when we are making any decisions.”
Stackhouse was also rapt with the victory after the pre-race plan went exactly as he had hoped.
“A big thanks to Glen Thompson as he has done an amazing job with this horse,” he said.
“The plan worked out perfectly, near the speed which was just fine and he travelled so well”.
“I nursed him into it at the 600m with plenty of horse underneath me and he was just too tough”.
“He is jumping out of the gates so well now and is a very happy horse.”
Bred and raced by South Waikato farming couple Ross and Corrine Kearney under their Okaharau Station banner, Bankers Choice won five of his ten starts for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh before a majority interest was sold to clients of the Moroney stable in a private transaction.
Out of the Conatus mare Signorina, Bankers Choice is a full-brother to the highly talented three-year-old Checkmate, a Listed winner and third-place getter in last month’s NZ$3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m).
With nine wins and eight placings from 45 starts, Bankers Choice has been a great money spinner for connections, amassing A$1,475,502 in prize money. – NZ Racing Desk
