In recent times this forum has lacked direction due to a couple of rogue elements(freddy and houdini). I thought a post on the greatness of choisir may lighten the mood. What a genius this horse has become. he has put Australia on the world map proving what many of us parochial aussies suspected - we have the best horses. While choisir has confirmed himself as a top rate sprinter he is not the best in australia although with his racing style suits england. imagine what yell, spinning hill, bel espirit, rubitano etc could do on the world stage.

Freddy and houdini have been long gone from this forum.

sorry i copied that from my post on another site. have they been banned on here as well?

cheers

News has just come in that Chosir cannot go into quarantine until July 18, and will very likely now contest the July Cup. Best of luck to the horse and connections

Cheers,
Cosmo

The difficult thing is working out whether Choisir has actually improved after his spell and then trip to England...or whether he is the same Choisir who Was overall as good but certainly no better than the likes of Rubitano and Spinning Hill.

Regardless of that, no one should doubt the extent of positive impact Choisirs success will have on the Australian racing industry. The industry as a whole owes a great deal of gratitude to Choisir, Paul Perry and the Wallaces who put up the cash to send him over.

no doubt we owe the perry's a debt of gratitude. absolute champion efforts. just imagine if a super horse like NOrtherly or LOnhro went over there

Hi
Northerly or Lonhro would be no where near as succesful as Choisir in my opinion.We've only sent over one decent horse to run in a stakes race in OZ(Grandera) and he was only beat a length in a race run at a crawl on a track he hated.Was a good try for a horse who likes to close off a fast pace on a stiff track.Northerly would do well to finish within 5 lengths in a Royal Ascot race.
European sprinters are weak.Handicappers are very close to grade 1 sprinters in ability.I'd back Aussie sprinters every time,look at results from the far east in sprints compared to middle distances.You rarely see a European winner in sprints but over 10 to 12f they are a different ball game all together even though the real top stars prefer to go to USA and race in the World Thoroughbred Championships.Both middle distance turf races there last year were won by Euros and no doubt will win the BC Turf again this year at Santa Anita.
There's a world of difference between racing in OZ,Far East,GB/Ireland,France and USA.
Generally it's hard to beat the yanks for dirt horses,the UK/Ire for middle distance turf and the Aussies for sprints on turf.
Choisir has been a good ambassador for OZ and will be fav in the July Cup a race his sire finished 5th in.

G'day davyork, some intersting stuff there mate. Cat amongst the pigeons perhaps :wink:

Must say, if you are anywhere right with your statement 'Northerly would do well to finish within 5 lengths in a Royal Ascot race' please keep em at home, and don't spread the word (at home at least) :smile:

geez dav you've made some big calls there. i havent seen northerly run in a race yet where he was five lengths off the winner including his second succesive cox plate victory against the best field EVER assembled in that particular race. He beat them all on their merits. sure grtandera changed stride a few times but would he have actually got past northerly on a bigger track. he didn't go past defier and had every right too. I dont know what Northerly must do to stop getting bagged by people. He continues to win and continues to defy citics and records alike.

People say he is all guts and not a fast horse. sure he has guts but he is deceivingly quick. He travelled 3 wide the trip and smashed the australian cup record he ran course record when defeated by patrick payne's ride and fremason and he won the caufield cup with 58kg's. he is one of the greatest of all time dont worry about that.

Umrum
I didn't mean to put the cat amongst the pidgeons lol.
I didn't mean to knock Northerly,I've heard he's a smashing horse and he looked tough in the Plate.The best horse over here last year was maybe High Chaparral,he won the Epsom Derby beating Hawk Wing by 2 lengths with Moon Ballad(won dirt grade 1 in Dubai,the World Cup)third about 14 lengths away.High Chaparral was a monster,unbeatable in either UK or Ireland over 2400m.He won the Breeders Cup Turf World Chapionship in the USA at the end of the year too.He was fortunate enough that the rain came in America and softened the ground for him to display his stamina or he may have been outpaced.However,I doubt he would have beat Northerly in Australia and vice vera Northerly would have struggled to finish over here against the son of Saddlers Wells.Racing over here is totally different to OZ,USA,Japan,France.Emphasis here is put on stamina rather than speed,many races are run on soft ground with uphill finishes or hilly undulating tracks.Best horses are bred to get 2400 m so they can win a Derby or Arc.
Strawberry Road was an Aussie who came to race in France and won a grade 1 before running a good race in the Arc.
Why don't we ever see Aussies in the Breeders Cup in the States?You'd do well.

good point about horses for courses dav. didnt mean to have a go back just got sick of everyone knocking northerly. love the horse and wayne hawkes comments just fuelled
my anger. i still reckon northerly could win anywhere in the world. he races on the pace, he can lead if he has too and horses just dont run past hi that often. he can run amazing sectionals which are often over looked by judges, tipsters and "experts" and he just simply wins

Courtesy http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk website:

Half-price tickets for Aussies -

Australian passport holders will receive half-price admission on Thursday as Aussie sprinter Choisir bids to win Europe's premier sprint race.

The offer applies both to the Members' Enclosure (full price £28; £14 for Australian passport holders) and the Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure (full price £15; £7.50 for Australian passport holders).

Newmarket Racecourses managing director Lisa Hancock said: "Australians love supporting their many sporting superstars, especially against us 'Poms'!

"We hope that as many as possible will come to Newmarket on Thursday to see if Choisir can put Europe's best sprinters to the sword once again and complete an unprecedented sprint hat-trick in just a 23 day period.

"It would be a remarkable achievement if he can and would unquestionably give him the title of Champion Sprinter in Europe.

"With so many Australians living in London, which is only about 65 miles away, we hope that a number will make the journey to Newmarket.

"Hopefully the offer of half-price admission on the production of a valid Australian passport will provide that bit of extra encouragement."

Choisir will renew rivalry in the Darley July Cup with the brilliant British filly, Airwave, who was a fine second to the Australian speedster in Royal Ascot's Golden Jubilee Stakes. The pair dominate the ante-post betting on the big race at Newmarket's three-day July Meeting, which starts with Ladies' Day on Tuesday 8 July.

Eighteen go to post in the July Cup on thursday and Choisir get's a draw in stall(barrier)1,right next to the rail.The rail has been a good advantage here at Newmarket,England on the first day of the July Meeting.The ground on the rail just might get a bit chewed up by thursday abd the low draw may not be as advantageous.We'll see.
Newmarket is riding good to firm and is pencilled in to be watered after racing on wednesday.

[ This Message was edited by: davyork on 2003-07-09 07:25 ]

Is there anywhere to have a bet on the July Cup tonight. I was keen to back Oasis Dream but have gone off it a little as a result of the trainers comments on the barrier draw. Does anyone know about the culture of trainers comments in the UK. i.e would a trainer try and throw people off the scent or are they generally honest about their horses chances?

cheers

Betfair covering all UK races, and even the NSW laws can't stop you - perfectly legal to bet on UK racing with them!

As for Aus horses going to the Breeder's Cup - it clashes with the Melbourne Spring Carnival, where our best do battle for plenty of prizemoney over a series of meetings, not just the one.

Hi
Oasis Dream wins by a length and half.To watch the race here's the link.Choisir ran a cracker and held his form with the ones he beat at Ascot last time.Airwave found traffic but wasn't an unlucky loser for my money.She might be a good bet at York in august over 5f if Oasis Dream doesn't turn up.Choisir should like York's 5f too but it's Airwaves distance!
http://www.virtuetv.com/clients/are...heday100703.asx

Luckily i discounted the trainers negative comments about his horse and stuck with my bet on Oasis Dream - another great run from the Paul Perry horse. I can't see Chosier coming back to Aust.

Cheers

cheers for the link dav

Well that's the end of Choisir!
Connections said they would only run in the July Cup if he was sold before the race.Coolmore had their eye on him alright.Typical of them to retire him instantly.