Diamond Jubilee draws memories of Choisir

Cover image courtesy of Coolmore

It’s been 18 years since Choisir was at Royal Ascot, a week in 2003 that turned the sport of racing around. The chestnut colt, trained by Newcastle master Paul Perry, won the then G2 King’s Stand S. on the Tuesday, and backed it up with a bullish victory four days later in the G1 Golden Jubilee.

He was the first horse since Stanerra (Ire) (Guillaume Tell {USA}) in 1983 to win twice at the Royal Meeting, and the first horse in 83 years to win the King’s Stand-Golden Jubilee double.

In fact, Choisir is one of only five horses to win both races at the one meeting, an exclusive club that includes only Prince Charlie (GB) from 1873, Lowlander (GB) from 1876, Diadem (GB) (Orby {GB}) from 1920, Choisir from 2003 and Blue Point (GB) from 2019.

At the time of his victories, Choisir was the first Australian horse to land at the Royal meeting. He was met with polite curiosity, with popular British identity, the late Barry Court (known affectionately as ‘Barry the Judge’), heard to say that Choisir should be pulling a dray.

“He’s always been a block of a horse, but he’s a darn smart colt,” said Perry at the time. “I think he’s capable of anything.”

The Newcastle trainer was correct.

With Irish jockey Johnny Murtagh, Choisir won his races, breaking the track record in the Golden Jubilee ahead of a decent field that included the fancied Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}). Murtagh told Perry to keep the horse in Europe, that he’d win everything.

In the aftermath of Choisir's sale to Coolmore, for a reported $20 million, the horse raced in the G1 July Cup and was a gallant second to Oasis Dream (GB). Thereafter he retired from the track, and joined Coolmore’s shuttle squadron.

Middle of the road

Paul Perry is still at it 18 years later.

The wily trainer is 71-years-old, and has around 50 horses in work at his Broadmeadow yard in Newcastle. It’s that time of year when he’s asked most about Choisir, and the memories are good, even if they’re not so fresh after all these years.

“From the word go he always showed something,” Perry said. “He always looked promising. He was a lovely natured, lovely big horse. Just an outstanding-looking animal.”

In 2001, Perry picked out Choisir from the catalogue of the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. The colt was Lot 409 on account of Alabama Stud, and he sold to the trainer for $55,000.

Choisir was the fourth foal from the broodmare Great Selection (Lunchtime {GB}), bred by Ross Daisley and a late entry into the Classic Sale that year because, on pedigree, he was only average. However, as a physical yearling, Choisir was exceptional.

“We liked the way he was bred, being by Danehill Dancer,” Perry said. “You look at a lot of horses at the yearling sales, but we were really taken by the way he presented. We were buying about 10 or 12 each year, and he was middle of the road at that price. Not by today’s standards, of course, but back then it was middle of the road.”

As a 2-year-old, Choisir was amazing.

He won his first start in the Listed Breeders’ Plate in September 2001 and then, across his first nine races, he wasn’t out of the top three. He won the G3 Skyline S. and was second in the G2 Pago Pago S., and was third in both the G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Champagne S. behind Calaway Gal (Clang).

As a 3-year-old, he was placed in the G2 Stan Fox S., G1 Caulfield Guineas and G1 Oakleigh Plate, and he won the G2 Emirates Classic and G1 Lightning S. His final races in Australia saw him unplaced in both the G1 Futurity S. and G1 Newmarket H.

“He used to race very hard,” Perry said. “We’d be always trying to get him to settle, and in some of those races he used to race that hard he didn’t give himself any opportunities.”

Because of SARS

Choisir was still a 3-year-old when thoughts about Royal Ascot came along. A trip to England wasn’t initially on the agenda for the horse and his owners, Terry and Diane Wallace.

“He was ready to go to Singapore for the KrisFlyer,” Perry said. “And then they got that SARS virus over there, and they shut down racing so we couldn’t go. Jack Putley, who used to do all the international racing, said would we consider going to Royal Ascot, and I remember we all got together one Sunday night at the football and decided we’d have a go at it.”

Perry didn’t know much at all about the Royal meeting. He knew about the Golden Jubilee which was, up until 2002, the Cork and Orrery S.

“I used to always watch that race, because it was the main sprint race, but that was about all I knew,” the trainer said. “We’d taken horses to Hong Kong before, and I had seen what had come from England before from those races, and they hadn’t done that well in Hong Kong. So I thought we’d be right up there.”

Choisir stayed at the Newmarket yard of the late trainer Geoff Wragg. Perry said they were warmly welcomed by the British racing community and, in the wake of the King’s Stand, Choisir was more than ready to tackle the Golden Jubilee.

“They were the two big sprint races of the meeting,” he said. “He was such a deep, big horse that could stand that. The first run really topped him off for the second run, and he was a relaxed, good-doing horse. He could handle it.”

Despite being weighted as a Northern Hemisphere 4-year-old, 3-year-old Choisir was effortless in his Royal Ascot races. He relished the straight courses, which he had shown at Flemington, and his trainer was more than confident.

“I wouldn’t say we expected it (his victories),” Perry said, “but we knew he’d handle it all. Even between the Golden Jubilee and the July Cup, he had an easy fortnight waiting to go home. He wasn’t really trained for the July Cup, but if he had been trained for it, I think he would have won. He just got tired late.”

Perry is reticent about Choisir’s loss to him after the July Cup. He won’t say if he expected to go home without the horse, or if it saddened him to do just that. What he does admit is that it’s part of the game.

Perry has handled enough good horses to know how things work, having prepared the likes of Fastnet Rock and Stratum, both immensely successful stallions. And, all things considered, Choisir’s retirement was the beginning of a long and successful second-coming at stud.

Legacy from the barn

The upcoming breeding season in Australia will be the first year without Choisir, who was pensioned by Coolmore last November at the age of 21.

“He is happy and healthy, and will live out the remainder of his days in the stallion barn,” said Coolmore’s Tom Magnier.

Choisir covered his first crop in the Australian spring of 2003, getting a hefty book of 158 for his debut season, which peaked in 2009 with 227 mares.

He was always fairly priced, starting at $30,250 (inc GST) in 2003, climbing to a peak service fee of $35,750 (inc GST) in 2009. Those were the years when his best son, the brilliant Starspangledbanner, was emulating his sire, winning the G1 Golden Jubilee and G1 July Cup.

All up, Choisir accounts for 99 stakes winners worldwide, and 53 Group winners of 92 Group races.

His best progeny include European sprinter Olympic Glory (Ire), a four-time Group 1 winner in France and England, Obviously (Ire), who won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, and Starspangledbanner.

He boasts 11 Group 1 winners, 15 Group 2 winners and 24 winners of a Group 3 event. His progeny has netted over $128 million worldwide, and his sire sons include Starspangledbanner at Rosemont Stud in Victoria and Divine Prophet at Aquis Farm.

Olympic Glory stands at Al Shaqab’s Haras de Bouquetot in France, and shuttled to Arrowfield Stud for three seasons from 2015.

“Choisir's been a good stallion over a long period of time,” said bloodstock agent Justin Bahen, who has been buying Choisir yearlings right up to this year, when he paid $75,000 for Lot 67 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. It was nowhere near the top price for the stallion at that Sale, which was $400,000 for a filly from Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago).

“I think the word ‘consistent’ is a very good word for him, as far as his progeny go on the track,” Bahen added. “You get a lot of them that look like Starspangledbanner, those big, strong, speedy, running-looking types, but then you also get those like Olympic Glory that could run a mile. Divine Prophet got out to a mile as well. I just think he got a lot of really good, trainers’ horses with a winning chance. A stakes horse.”

Choisir’s highest-priced yearling to date was a $560,000 colt in 2016, a foal from the broodmare Fairchild (General Nediym) that sold to James Harron at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. All up, his yearlings averaged $70,000 in Australia between 2006 and 2021.

“He’s been a wonderful stallion,” said Perry. “He has always come up with these good horses, and he’s very consistent. We’ve had quite a few by him, and he’s been very good for Coolmore, I’d imagine.”

In 2016, Perry coughed up $32,500 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for a colt by Choisir from the mare My Amelia (Redoute’s Choice). Named The Mission, the colt won the G1 Champagne S. and G3 The Schweppervesence.

As recently as this week, Choisir reminded the world he was still around when Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) won the G1 King’s Stand on Tuesday. The 5-year-old gelding is from the Choisir mare Charlotte Rosina (GB) and, like his damsire, he was a feature of the G1 July Cup, winning the race just last year.