RIGHT CHOICE
25th March 2019
Price Bloodstock four-year-old Right Choice continued his brilliantly-successful first campaign by breaking into Class 2 with a hard fought win at Sha Tin on Sunday as he stepped up to a mile for the first time but it was a near thing.
The gelding’s fifth win of the season from just six starts win was his biggest payday yet, adding almost another $2 million to his earnings as he collected first prize money plus an $850,000 High Achievement Bonus from the Jockey Club, and pushed his stakes past $5 million in his brief career.
But it almost didn’t happen, the Frankie Lor-trained gelding leading for the first time in his career and showing his inexperience but that was also a reason for connections to be optimistic that there is more to come.
“The way the race was run wasn’t suitable for him, it was such a slow pace and with the light weight he carried I felt the best position would be where he was – in front – but he was never happy to be there doing the work,” said jockey Silvestre de Sousa. “He felt like he was still immature and babyish. He just wants to be in a fast pace where he can come home strongly. II’d like to ride him again over a mile but be more patient and let him come home from the back.”
The desperately-close margin of victory suggested to some fans that Right Choice might have reached his handicap mark but Lor was looking at things differently.
“He has done a great job so far and I think he can still win again. First time leading today, he was looking around and maybe not concentrating like he has when he has had a horse in front of him to run down so he might learn from this and improve again,” Lor said. “His other four wins were 1400m and I would have been happy to run him again over that distance but there was nothing In the program for him at 1400m. Whether he stays at 1600m or goes back to 1400m will also depend on the program – I would not have a problem running him over either distance.”