Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Winner of Saturday’s G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude at just his fifth start, Estremo was bred by SF Bloodstock and Matthew Sandblom, who are both partners in Newgate Farm. Estremo was sold through Newgate Farm’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft for $230,000 to Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock (FBAA).
To put that price in context, the average for the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale was $426,500 and the median $300,000. Throw in Extreme Choice’s 2025 yearling average of $477,000, and the money spent looks to be excellent value.
Imagination required
Henry Field of Newgate Farm explained the lower figure for Estremo. “He was a yearling with plenty of scope and a little bit immature. He had great depth of girth, but you probably needed a bit of imagination to see what he would grow into,” said Field.
“Denise Martin (Star Thoroughbreds) and Brett Howard (Randwick Bloodstock) saw he’d make a good horse, and they are good operators. The first Group 1 winner we sold off the farm was Foxplay, and Denise bought her. I actually worked for her as a teenager, helping doing the owners' form when she was with Gai Waterhouse, and she’s bought a lot of good horses off Newgate.
“Every time she buys one, it’s an extra special kick. She’s an incredibly astute person. She definitely needed imagination when it came to Estremo, but the Extreme Choice stock come in all shapes and sizes, and Estremo has furnished into a nice horse.”
Henry Field | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Star Thoroughbreds’ big weekend
Denise Martin watched Estremo’s run on telly at Randwick, having just arrived back in Sydney on Saturday. “I was in Tasmania on Friday night for their annual awards and our filly Sanniya won the 2-year-old of the year,” Martin said. Star Thoroughbreds picked up the Champion 2-Year-Old Award for 2024/25 with Sanniya (Stratosphere) who was unbeaten in two starts, the Magic Millions Tasmania 2YO Classic and the Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes.
“I hurried to Randwick to watch the race, and when he angled up outside the leader and shot to up to challenge him, I thought, this is going to happen!
“James Cummings was co-hosting Channel 7’s coverage and I caught up with him at Randwick. He said he trained his mother, so he was able to nominate Estremo as his first selection on his first day on the telly.
“It was a great ride, and wonderful placement by Chris (Waller) and his team. With Chris’ meticulous attention to detail, Estremo had worked at Caulfield earlier in the week and it worked out perfectly.”
Ridden by Ben Melham, Estremo came from barrier one to beat the Matt Laurie-trained Vega For Luck (NZ) (Lucky Vega {Ire}) by 0.06 lengths. “Ben commented that it was a soft win. He always had the measure of the second horse, and it was simply a matter of keeping his mind on the job. He wasn’t under huge pressure, he found the line nicely and it gave him a winning experience without undue pressure.
“We head onwards to the Caulfield Guineas with anticipation. The owners are happy to go on the ride. He’s just getting started and hopefully he’ll be better again in the autumn. We are heading to Caulfield in a fortnight with an advantage because we’ve already been there. The Caulfield track can be difficult for first time runners, and we’ve been there and he’s run wonderfully well, and hopefully that gives us some advantage.”
Estremo | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
On the relatively cheap price
Estremo was a relative bargain buy for a colt by Extreme Choice. “He didn’t quite have the 50% off sticker above his barn door,” Martin said.
“He’s not physically 100% but Brett (Howard) and I felt there was nothing of significance (to stop him running), and at the end of the day if you can buy an Extreme Choice for that sort of money, then try and buy one. I was elated to get him for under $250,000.
“He’s typical of Extreme Choice. An average sized colt who is strong with a really good stride length to accompany his size. Given that he’s got that strength and is out of a Street Cry mare, he’ll improve with time and patience with Chris’s guidance.”
Estremo as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Bred to succeed
Extreme Choice had a massive day on Saturday with two 3-year-old Group winners, the other being the Michael Freedman-trained filly Apocalyptic.
Estremo is the fifth winner from five foals to race from Tree Of Jesse (Street Cry {Ire}). Tree Of Jesse was trained by James Cummings to win four races, all in Sydney, with earnings over $252,000. She had six foals for the SF Bloodstock and Sandblom partnership with the final one being a current 2-year-old full sister to Estremo who Newgate sold at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $200,000 to McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA).
With five minor winners and lower than expected sales prices for her Extreme Choice yearlings, Newgate put Tree Of Jesse on Inglis Digital in February. Ben Kwok purchased her for $18,000 and exported her to New Zealand. According to the New Zealand Stud Book, she is due to foal to In The Congo.
Tree Of Jesse | Image courtesy of Inglis
“I heard she’s had a foal at Windsor Park Stud,” said Field.
“The mare, being by Street Cry, will give Estremo the scope to run the Guineas out. He’s got a great turn of foot and top genetics being by an exceptional sire in Extreme Choice out of a mare by an outstanding sire in Street Cry.”
The build up of good sires continues with the next generation, as Tree Of Jesse is out of unraced mare Cousins (Danehill {USA}), who produced Listed Hawkesbury Guineas winner Related (Elusive Quality {USA}) and four stakes-placed winners led by Group 2-placed Generosa (NZ) (Generous {Ire}). Generosa is the dam of G2 Let's Elope Stakes winner No Evidence Needed (Shamardal {USA}), the dam of Lovatsville stallion and New Zealand Group 1 winning juvenile Move To Strike.
Cousins’ other stakes-placed winners are Suite (Stravinsky {USA}), Family Of Song (Unbridled’s Son {USA}) and Familial (Encosta De Lago).
Extreme Choice’s versatility
With a fertility rate that has never risen above 60%, and with seven crops that have numbered 48 live foals or less each season, Extreme Choice’s brilliance is well documented with 16 stakes winners from 134 runners (11.9%) and five Group 1 winners. Star Thoroughbreds’ mare Espiona won the G1 Coolmore Classic who Star Thoroughbreds sold for $4.15 million via a Magic Millions Online virtual sale.
She’s Extreme won both the G1 Champagne Stakes and G1 Victoria Oaks. Knight’s Choice won the G1 Melbourne Cup, and then there’s the two juvenile stars. Devil Night won last season’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and Stay Inside won the G1 Golden Slipper.
“Extreme Choice is so versatile. When you breed a mare to him that’s got a bit of stamina in the pedigree, you get an outcome like Estremo. He’s done everything off tiny numbers and genuinely will go down in history as one of the best stallions in Australia.
Extreme Choice | Standing at Newgate Farm
“It’s so frustrating to manage him with small numbers, but he’s also so extraordinary that we are fortunate to have him. He keeps delivering. Michael Freedman’s filly (Apocalyptic) is obviously very special. She’s the kind of filly who could achieve anything.
“There’s a sharp one trialling tomorrow for Bjorn Baker, and we are looking forward to seeing Stay Inside’s progeny coming through to be the next generation.”
Stay Inside has six juveniles trialling at the first official NSW 2-year-old trials on Monday. Bjorn Baker-trained colt Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) cost Bjorn Baker Racing, Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) and Ridgmont $400,000 at the Gold Coast.
Buy of the Weekend Sepals gets a Group 1
Congratulations to the connections of Sepals (Calyx {GB}) who won Saturday’s G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. With five wins from seven starts, the 4-year-old gelding took his earnings over $905,000.
He was featured in Buy of the Weekend in February, after he won the G3 CS Hayes Stakes.
