Australia’s Trailblazer Choir dies aged 22
Australian sprinter and senior steed Choisir, the first Southern Hemisphere horse to complete the prestigious King’s Stand Stakes (G2) -Golden Jubilee Stakes (G1) double at Royal Ascot, has died at home. for the past 18 years alone, Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley.
Prominent chestnut stallion, male of 100 stake winners and 11 group 1 winners in 12 countries, who was declared a “national hero” for his European horse racing feats. he when coached by Paul Perry, was crowned before the 2020 breeding season and has given the last two years he has taken time to retire.
He died peacefully at Coolmore, aged 22.
Newcastle coach Perry reflected on Choisir, a horse that would not have come to the UK and become part of Australian racing folklore had it not been forced to close the race in Singapore next year. 2003.
As fate would have it – and that’s a rather poignant fact given what the world is currently suffering from COVID-19 – the SARS illness ended a planned Singapore trip and turned it upside down. the country’s signature sprint, prompting Perry to make a deft shift and point Choisir towards Royal Ascot.
“He was going to Singapore for the sprint there. They had a virus going through the country and the race stopped. He was ready to go somewhere, so we decided to go there. at the suggestion of (once a media personality jog) Jack Petley. He suggested it and we agreed to it,” Perry told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“He had been training to go to Singapore and was suddenly on leave, with nothing else on offer and knowing that Royal Ascot was a straight course and that he loved Flemington straight, we decided to go.”
His deeds at the famous Royal Meeting, in which he broke the course record in the Golden Jubilee by starting the second of the week, set a path for runners Australia’s sprint followed, most notably through the connections of Takeover Target, Ms. Andretti, and Black caviar .
His own son Starsangledbanner , winner of The Age Caulfield Guineas (G1) and Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (G1), also won the 2010 Golden Jubilee (G1) and Darley July Cup (G1) that year.
Coolmore, who two years later bought the car that was trained by Perry Fastnet Rock as a dark horse prospect, lunging at Choisir shortly after he completed the remarkable Royal Ascot feat, in which Perrys and longtime clients Terry Wallace and his wife Diane are said to have left no doubt about The UK High Street bookies let their guard down to land for a long time- The coup d’état on the pony in the King’s Stand as well as the coup d’etat, at the time, could not predictable.
Perry, now 72, is often underrated. “Look, I think he’s won quite a bit of money,” he said.
The choir will have one more start, finishing in second place Oasis dream at the July 2003 Cup at Newmarket, before retiring from permanent duty called Coolmore Australia in September of that year.
Coolmore Australia Principal Tom Magnier paid tribute to Choisir just hours after the sprinter’s death.
Magnier said: “I was lucky enough to be at Ascot in 2003 to witness his incredible feat on Tuesday and then Saturday where he was ridden by Johnny Murtagh. “It’s a great achievement for his coach Paul Perry and paves the way for future Australian sprinters to be able to compete brilliantly on the world stage.
“Since he retired from the ranch in 2003, he has been a favorite with all who have worked with him, especially our longtime stallion manager Gerry Ryan, who especially love him.
“Choisir was a top-notch professional in all he did and every stallion dreams of a horse like him. We are so grateful to him and he will miss him immensely. by the whole Coolmore team.”
From the Southern Hemisphere’s second crop of Coolmore shuttle dancer Danehill Dancer, Perry paid A$55,000 for the Ross Daisley-bred Choir at the 2001 Inglis Classic Sale and he raced him against the Wallaces .
As an unproven racer, Perry took a trip to Ireland in 1995, the early stages of Danehill Dancer’s racing career, and of course to witness one of his victories. that.
Perry said: “We went to a meeting there in Ireland once and I think Pat Eddery rode him and we watched him win a race, so we got a little like him. since then,” Perry said.
“(As a craving) Choisir had a lot of presence about him; he was a big, muscular horse. There was always something to like about him.”
As the filing shows, Choisir will win Breeders’ Plate and Skyline Stakes (G3) before running slots in Pago Pago Stakes (G2), Golden Slipper Stakes (G1), ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (G1), and Champagne Shares (G1).
At the age of 3, before his European campaign, Choisir won the VRC Lightning Stakes (G1) and Emirates Classic (G2) in Flemington and finished third in the Oakleigh Plate, he is also remembered for his disappointing performance. his routine in L’Oreal Paris Plate (G3) on the Victoria Derby Day, in which Planchet and Blur were controversially promoted in front of him during a protest in favor of the management.
Australia’s first season champion stallion in 2006-07, a year after Galileo won the freshman title and the previous season Outperform and Excel rose to prominence, Choisir went on to hunt down the likes of Starspangledbanner, Japonisme, Holy Prophetand Perry-trained Champagne Stakes winner Mission.
As one of Australia’s top 20 males with 9x earnings, Choisir’s most recent bet winner is New Zealand Bloodstock NJC 3YO Spring Stakes (G3) winner Festival Dancer who broke through at black level in November at Newcastle.
Of his 100 stake winners, 33 were bred in the Northern Hemisphere from his 2004-10 and 2014-15 seasons in Ireland, topped by group 1 winners Olympic Glory , US Level 1 Winner Clearly , and The Last Lion , which compared favorably with the other reverse shuttles in Exceed And Excel (83), Fastnet Rock (46), Redoute’s Choice (14) and Lonhro (11).
As a single parent, Choisir’s progeny continue to be sought after by commercial breeders, with the sprinter winning the doubles. Every rose sold online this year for AU$1.3 million.
Currently, his mares have produced 23 stake winners including 5 European group 1 winners, Coolmore’s Winter among them, while Will Clarken won in group 2 Beau Rossa, group of 3 winners Ecksteinand Tony Gollan’s Promising List Winner Isotopes is Choisir’s daughter.
Choisir, whose service charge for 17 seasons started at AU$30,250 (GST included) and peaked at AU$35,750 (GST included), is 13 years old in her last crop. Two of them, a baby and a pony, will be offered for sale at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Annual Sale next month.
“We would see him almost every year at the stallions (Coolmore) parades. We would go to the ranch and see him,” Perry said.
“He was a big, kind, loving horse. We have some fond memories.”
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/255430/australian-trailblazer-choisir-dies-at-22 Australia’s Trailblazer Choir dies aged 22
