Three-year-old Extreme Choice produced a career-best performance to beat a field of stars and win the featured Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley this evening.

Extreme Choice flew home late to win the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos

Trainer Mick Price unveiled a bold plan to saddle the star colt in the Moir Stakes first-up and subsequently set up a likely showdown with the likes of Chautauqua and Buffering; a stage that Extreme Choice had not appeared on prior to tonight.

Jumping from the gates well, jockey Craig Newitt elected to sit off the pace of Ball Of Muscle, Buffering and Redzel early, who ensured that the Moir Stakes would be run at particularly fast pace.

Peeling out rounding onto the final straight, the Not A Single Doubt colt produced a monumental turn of foot to sweep home down the outside; comfortably overcoming Heatherly, Wild Rain and a fast-finishing Chautauqua.

“He’s a beauty. He relaxed beautifully and travelled well,” Newitt said.

“I heard the grey horse (Chautauqua) starting to make his run at about the 500m. We went at the same time and he just got away.

“He picked up really well, he really quickened off the bend and he’s come back a better horse this time.

“His work has been great leading into it and it’s just great to get a win like that with him.”

Trainer Mick Price was understandably pleased with Extreme Choice’s performance to win the Moir Stakes, and underlined a likely run in the Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) as a lead-in to the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on Derby Day.

“There’s the horse. That’s the colt. That’s him,” Price said.

“It was a very tough race, good speed on and some fantastic horses in him, and he beat them.

“He’s a stud colt and that’s what this race was all about.

“Had we drawn barrier 4 he probably would have come off the speed and not been back as such. Every race you have to have your thinking cap on and do your best with what you’ve got. Yesterday morning I wasn’t running from nine of nine but I had a think about it.

“Chautauqua was off the bridle before we were, behind us. Anyway, what can I say? It’s all about the horse and he did a fantastic job.

“The Coolmore is a bit of a stallion-making race and it’s a month between runs, so I think we’re running in the Blue Sapphire as a run into the Coolmore.”

Extreme Choice has claimed four wins from his five career starts, highlighted by his maiden Group 1 victory in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), as well as tonight’s triumph.

2016 Moir Stakes Results