Conners has new star in the making

Wed 8 Sep

Best Choice is related to a sprinting champion and Clarry Conners believes he could be the most promising horse he's trained in over a decade following the colt's debut win.

Best Choice, a Redoute's Choice half-brother to Hong Kong's former champion sprinter Silent Witness, finished strongly to win the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1250m) at Canterbury.

Almost 14 years ago Conners took Octagonal's full-brother Mouawad to the same track for a winning debut and when asked how long since he'd had a horse as promising as Best Choice, the trainer replied: "Probably Mouawad".

Mouawad won seven of his eight races between 1996 and 1997 including three Group Ones.

Conners even wore the same tie to Canterbury on Wednesday that he wore to all of Mouawad's races.

"I think he is a pretty special horse," the trainer said of Best Choice.

"I've got a really, really big opinion of him.

"He has had heaps of ability from day one."

Conners admitted to being nervous ahead of three-year-old's debut and had concerns how the big colt would handle the tighter Canterbury circuit.

But with jockey Peter Robl in the saddle, Best Choice got into the clear in the straight and arrived in time to defeat Swift Judgement by a half neck with Mac Chois third. - aap

Image by aap