Knight’s Choice is on track to become the first Melbourne Cup champion to compete in the prestigious All-Star Mile following an impressive trial at the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday morning.
The five-year-old made his first public showing since his stunning victory in last November’s Melbourne Cup, covering 1000 meters and accelerating strongly along the rail in the final stretch. He finished ahead of Calico Jack by half a length, stopping the clock at 1:03.61.
The trial result pleased co-trainer Sheila Laxon, who shared insights into the horse’s next potential race, hinting at a likely return to the scene of his greatest triumph with an All-Star Mile bid.
“His options are fairly restricted, so we’re looking at the Australian Cup or the All-Star Mile,” Laxon told RSN927.
She further added, “As we saw today, he’s pretty forward and I’d think probably he’d go first-up into a race like that (All-Star Mile).”
“A trip away brings them on anyway and you probably don’t want to do too much with him to get him ready for a mile. I think he’s probably ready for a mile as his next start.”
The All-Star Mile, now valued at $2.5 million and officially recognized as a Group 1 race, has been permanently set at Flemington after previously rotating between Melbourne’s top three racecourses.
A son of Extreme Choice, Knight’s Choice stunned the racing world with a remarkable upset in last year’s Melbourne Cup, paying $91 for the win. Despite his success in staying races, his earlier victories came at distances around 1600m, including the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m).
The All-Star Mile, now part of the VRC’s long weekend schedule alongside the Newmarket Handicap, will take place three weeks before the $2.5 million Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m).
Laxon, who co-trains with John Symons, also highlighted another key race in the gelding’s potential campaign—the $1.2 million Q22, a 2200m contest in Brisbane scheduled for June. She acknowledged that Knight’s Choice’s participation in future races would depend heavily on track conditions, as he performs best on dry ground.
“It’s going to be in the lap of the Gods about the weather about where he does run, if he runs, so it’s a little bit of a quandary for us,” Laxon admitted.
“But we’ll prepare him and I’m sure he’ll put his best foot forward on the day.”
