Toorak could be a surprise target for Knight's Choice

By Glenn Davis

Star Queensland four-year-old Knight’s Choice could be a surprise starter in next month’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield depending on his performance at Randwick on Saturday.

The training partnership of John Symons and Sheila Laxon will make a final decision about a shock Melbourne trip after the gelding makes his comeback in the City Tattersalls Group Handicap over 1200 metres in Sydney.             

Knight’s Choice, a winner of four of his seven starts, hasn’t raced since his barnstorming win in the Group 3 Winx Guineas at the Sunshine Coast on July 1.

The son of Extreme Choice has been the subject of mammoth sale offers but connections have knocked back them all, including a $2.3 million offer from Hong Kong.

Connections originally hoped to aim Knight’s Choice for the Cox Plate in Melbourne but because of his low rating they switched targets to the $10 million Golden Eagle over 1500 metres at Rosehill on November 4.

Co-trainer Symons believes the Toorak Handicap would be an ideal race for Knight’s Choice, who has drawn the rails for his Sydney comeback.

Since 2000, Show A Heart (2001) and dual-winner Solzhenitsyn (2012 and '13) are the only Queensland-trained horses to win the Toorak Handicap.

“We’ll see how he goes first-up before deciding about the Toorak,” Symons said.

“At this stage he’ll run Saturday then go into the Silver Eagle at Rosehill.

“But, that could change depending on how he goes on Saturday and he could go to Melbourne instead before going back for the Golden Eagle.”

The time-honoured Toorak Handicap carries prize money of $1 million and will be run on October 14, the same day as the $1 million Silver Eagle over 1300 metres at Randwick.

Knight’s Choice has settled in well since arriving in Sydney last weekend after connections decided to bypass the Listed Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba for his return.

Meanwhile, co-trainer Laxon is delighted with Knight’s Choice ahead of his spring campaign.

“He only had a month out after the Winx Guineas win and he’s had a couple of barrier trials,” Laxon said.

“He loves travelling and has settled in well in Sydney and his work at Warwick Farm has been super.

“I think he’s come back this preparation bigger and better than ever.”

Symons and Laxon had different opinions about the rails draw in Sydney.

Laxon fears he could get caught up in a traffic jam on the fence.

“He likes to get back in his races so it could be a tricky draw if he gets caught in a traffic jam,” she said.

However, Symons was not a concerned declaring barrier one is better than an outside gate.