As
Coolmore prepare to launch the stud career of this year's Royal Ascot hero
Merchant Navy it's a good time to reflect on the deeds of the horse who blazed
the trail to international sprinting glory for Australia - Choisir.
Trained by Paul Perry, Choisir did the impossible back in 2003 winning the
Group II King's Stand Stakes and then the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes to put
the Australian thoroughbred on the world stage in a serious way for the first time
since Phar Lap won the Agua Caliente Stakes in Mexico in 1932.
There is no underestimating the scale of his achievement and for his many fans,
his subsequent retirement to Coolmore Stud and success as a stallion has been
the source of much happiness and satisfaction.
The story of a great champion that lives happily ever after is the way it
should be…. it doesn't always happen, but Choisir has always been a horse that
makes his own luck.
With a quartet of metropolitan winners at Morphettville and Caulfield on
Saturday, Choisir hit a century of winners for the seventh consecutive season,
a remarkable achievement for a sire that always stands at an affordable fee.
While other stallions come and go, Choisir remains a constant, priced always
around the $30,000 mark throughout his career and at $29,700 this spring.
He's the go to, proven sire to give a young maiden a mare a great shot at success
at a realistic fee. If she can't make it with Choisir, she might not make it at
all!
The sire of 89 stakes-winners, 11 of which are Group I winners, Choisir is also
making his mark as a sire of sires with Group I winning sons
Starspangledbanner, Olympic Glory (IRE), Divine Prophet and The Mission all standing
at stud in Australia this spring.
Turning 19 next week, Choisir is one stallion I look forward to seeing at
Coolmore every year. He's the horse that defines the term 'Australian sprinter'
and age has done little to lessen his golden charismatic appeal.