One to Watch – Canterbury

Tara Madgwick - Friday Feb 27

Extreme Choice was a brilliant sprinter and has thrown his share of brilliant sprinters, but as with great champion sires of the past, he can also get a stayer such as Melbourne Cup hero Knight’s Choice and VRC Oaks winner She’s Extreme.

Powerhouse bolts in at Canterbury - image Bradley Photos

At Canterbury on Friday night we saw a three year-old Extreme Choice colt that definitely leans more to the middle distance range in Powerhouse, who thrashed older rivals over 1900m.

Trained by Peter Snowden and ridden by Tim Clark, Powerhouse led from the jump and controlled the race throughout before dashing away down the straight to win by three lengths in a dominant display.

With three wins and two placings from eight starts and prizemoney topping $124,000, Powerhouse has found his mojo since stepping up to 1600m and beyond with the manner of this win suggesting a little further will also be well within his range.

At this time of year there is a myriad of Black Type options for a three year-old stepping up in trip and Powerhouse looms as a horse to follow.

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Powerhouse was a $200,000 Magic Millions purchase.

A $200,000 Magic Millions purchase from Newgate Farm for Trilogy Racing Pty Ltd/Snowden Racing Pty Ltd, Powerhouse is the best of four winners from four foals to race from Awoke (NZ), a metro winning half-sister by Rip Van Winkle (IRE) to Group III wining stayer Cismontane and to the dam of this year’s Listed Tasmanian Derby winner Dad and Dave.

His third dam is Kiwi blue hen Eustaci, the dam of Group I winners Sirstaci, Nimue and Smiling Like with the family also producing another Group I winner in Coventina Bay, so it’s not hard to see why Powerhouse might be enjoying his step up in trip!

His dam Awoke was purchased by savvy investor Ben Kwok’s Lion Rock Bloodstock for $40,000 at the 2024 Inglis Broodmare Sale in foal to In the Congo and the result of that mating was a colt that sold for $190,000 at Karaka Book 1 this year in the Windsor Park Stud draft to Stephen Marsh Racing / Dylan Johnson Bloodstock.

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Race Result - Quayclean (Bm78) 1900m

Canterbury Track: Soft(6) Time: 1:57.77
1
Powerhouse
- 3c Extreme Choice (AUS) x Awoke (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle (IRE))
Tnr: Peter Snowden Rdr: Tim Clark 54.5
2
3.1
Kenmare Bay
- 4g New Bay (GB) x Anyana (GB) (Nathaniel (IRE))
Tnr: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 56.5
3
3.7
One Step Closer
- 3g Castelvecchio (AUS) x Get Closer (JPN) (Wild Rush (USA))
Tnr: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton Rdr: Zac Lloyd 58
4
5.8
Pleasure Artist
- 4m Trapeze Artist (AUS) x Perfect Pleasure (AUS) (Pierro (AUS))
Tnr: Richard & Will Freedman Rdr: Braith Nock 57
5
7
Strobing
- 7g Americain (USA) x Dowinga (IRE) (Hawk Wing (USA))
Tnr: A P Ball Rdr: Siena Grima 52
6
7
Semper Fortis
- 7g Tavistock (NZ) x Plaque (AUS) (Medaglia D'oro (USA))
Tnr: James Ponsonby Rdr: J Ford 54
7
9.1
Knife's Edge
- 9g Warrior's Reward (USA) x Bay's Edge (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: Jacob Perrett Rdr: Molly Bourke 52
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