Cover image courtesy of Newgate Farm
The bay was, said Laurel Oak's Louis Mihalyka, one of those who stood out in his pre-sale research; horses whose pedigrees were strong enough for him to head over to the Morphettville sales complex for the first time in quite a while.
“I think it has been ten to 15 years since I have been to the Adelaide sales,” he told The Thoroughbred Report, “but after going through the catalogue there were three I really liked.”
After inspecting each, it was clear that lot 262 was “the stand-out” though with his breeding Mihalyka knew “that he was going to be the most expensive.”
Lot 262 - Extreme Choice x Tiara Star (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
He was however, still good buying at the $360,000 with Extreme Choice the sort of stallion whose sons “stand a good chance of becoming stallion prospects.” Because of that, Mihalyka is confident of quickly finding owners for the colt.
“He should sell himself,” he said.
“He is the type of horse who someone can have a small share in and end up with a potential stallion.”
Extreme Choice colts in demand
And it is not as though there are a lot of Extreme Choice yearling colts out there - this fellow one of his 42 2022 born foals, 25 of whom are colts.
Eleven of those went through the ring at the Gold Coast, nine of those selling with three fetching seven-figure sums - a $1.6 million son of Wanted Lady (Wanted) purchased by the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership, a $1.45 million son of Euroboss (USA) (Street Boss {USA}) sold to a group led by Rosemont Stud and a son of Mischief Night (Shamardal {USA}) secured by Highway Farm.
Clinton McDonald Racing and Shane McGrath purchased for $340,000 his only Inglis Melbourne Premier son out of Perfect Persuasion (Encosta de Lago) whilst his two Inglis Classic colts were sold for $275,000 out of Boomstress (Spirit Of Boom) and $320,000 out of Brisk (GB) (Nayef {USA}) to Matt Vella Bloodstock and MG Price Racing and Breeding with Upper Bloodstock.
Lot 349 - Extreme Choice x Wanted Lady (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
And there are eight to come at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Bred by Bell River Thoroughbreds, L Walker and B Hogno, Extreme Choice made his way through the sales ring at the 2015 William Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, trainer Mick Price the winning bidder at $100,000.
Easily winning his first three starts including the G1 Blue Diamond S., he contested the G1 Golden Slipper S. as favourite but was luckless finishing out of the placings behind Capitalist. He had four further starts at three, the first of those seeing him record an easy win in the G1 Moir S.
A phenomenal record
Despite his well documented fertility issues, Extreme Choice has well and truly made his mark - 63 of his 86 runners to date being winners; an excellent 73.3% strike rate.
It is his ability to sire a very good horse that really stamps him as an outstanding stallion, 14.0% of his runners being stakes winners, 8.1% being Group winners, 3.4% at Group 1 level.
“He is a stallion with a phenomenal record,” Mihalyka said, well aware of Extreme Choice's impressive statistics as at one stage his own horse - the dual Group 1 winning sprinter Rebel Dane - boasted even better strike rates from small books of mares; the Laurel Oak bred G1 Golden Slipper S. and G1 ATC Sires Produce S. winner Fireburn (now in Japan) the best of his.
Gallery: Rebel Dane boasts a phenomenal record highlighted by Fireburn
Mihalyka undertakes considerable research when selecting yearlings and it was pedigree similarities to the G1 Golden Slipper S. and G1 AJC Sires Produce S. winning successful stallion Sebring that caught his eye in regards to his Adelaide purchase.
It is when he sees a cross he likes in a horse whose sire and dam have good performance that Mihalyka starts to get interested but it is when the youngster is also a great type - “that is when I get really excited!” he said.
Such as was the case with this colt who he described as “a really lovely athlete, just a beautiful horse - not big but well proportioned with sweet, fluid movement.”
Louis Mihalyka | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I am very pleased to have bought him,” noting that the October 19th born youngster "is built to race at two - and he has the conformation and temperament to remain a colt.”
Always a bit special
He was bred by Rushton Park and Sally Watkins’ Willaroon Thoroughbreds who were very happy to get their Stuart Ramsey bred six times winning mare Tiara Star (Congrats {USA}) - a $35,000 purchase at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Racehorse Sale - in foal the first time she visited Extreme Choice.
And even happier when the foal arrived - “he was gorgeous from the minute he came out,” Rushton Park's Kayley Johnson enthused - “right from birth we all thought he was a bit special.”
“He (Extreme Choice) was gorgeous from the minute he came out... right from birth we all thought he was a bit special.” - Kayley Johnson
“Of course a lot of water has to go under the bridge but he really flourished during his preparation.
“With the colt being a later foal, the decision to hold him back for Adelaide was made, one which paid dividends with Johnson saying that "he looked fantastic at the sales.”
Fourth in the Listed Gosford Guineas, Tiara Star - who was three times successful in metropolitan company - is a daughter of the Listed Eskimo Prince S. winner Tenant's Tiara (Beautiful Crown {USA}) who also produced the RL Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic winner Zoutenant (Zoustar).
Tiara Star | Image courtesy of Rushton Park Thoroughbreds
Hailing from the family that produced the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Burst (Marauding {NZ}), Tiara Star is in foal to In The Congo whilst her first foal, a yet to be named daughter of Pride Of Dubai has been retained to race.
“The Pride Of Dubai fillies are flying,” Johnson said, “and we are really looking forward to racing her with Grahame Begg.”
And there is something more imminent that Johnson - along with her husband David - is really looking forward to, a well earned holiday!
Selling Rushton Park last spring, the couple popping a caravan onto the car and “heading around the country for a couple of years.”
Rushton Park | Image courtesy of Rushton Park Thoroughbreds
It will be a great break - and a great adventure - for them though horses will never be too far from their thoughts.
“We have kept six mares to dabble with - Tiara Star being one of those - and we will see where we land when we get back, we may breed again but on a much smaller scale.”
Rushton Park had already enjoyed success on the opening day of the sale, their Justify (USA) x Shop Til I Drop (NZ) (Savabeel) colt bred by Peachester Lodge sold to Anthony Freedman Racing for $300,000, the second highest price of the first session.
