The dual Royal Ascot winner, Group 1-winning sprinter and influential sire Choisir (Aus) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) has died at Coolmore Australia at the age of 22.
Trained by Paul Perry for Terry Wallace and Partners, Choisir can be considered an equine pioneer for the role he played in opening the floodgates through the early part of this century for Australian sprinters to travel north during the Southern Hemisphere winter and put the locals in their place.
A top-class 2-year-old who was placed in all three legs of Australia's juvenile Triple Crown, Choisir went on to win the G2 Emirates Classic and G1 Lightning S. at Flemington at three before departing for Britain. He first set foot on the English turf on June 17, 2003, and in three starts in just over three weeks, he ensured that his name would be remembered and revered for decades to come.
On the opening day of Royal Ascot, he was sent off an unconsidered 25/1 chance under Johnny Murtagh for the King's Stand S., which was then still a Group 2. A strong field which included Oasis Dream (GB), Elusive City, the previous year's winner Dominica (GB), and eventual runner-up Acclamation (GB), was blown away by the Aussie raider's dominant performance, which saw him break sharply and make all to win by a length.
More deference was paid when he returned to Ascot four days later, stepping up a furlong for the G1 Golden Jubilee S. Choisir still wasn't favourite, however, with the British crowds unused to a horse backing up so quickly in major races. That honour went to Henry Candy's 3-year-old filly Airwave, who was carrying 10lbs less than Choisir, whose Southern Hemisphere birth date meant that he was considered a 4-year-old despite still technically being three. The extra weight failed to halt him in notching a rare double at the Royal Meeting, the first time this had been achieved since the great Irish mare Stanerra won the G2 Prince of Wales's S. and G2 Hardwicke S. 20 years earlier.
Choisir met Oasis Dream and Airwave again in the G1 Darley July Cup on what would transpire to be the final start of his career, but this time he had to settle for second behind Juddmonte's Oasis Dream, who later dropped back in trip for an emphatic victory in the G1 Nunthorpe S. on his next outing.
Choisir's glorious form on both sides of the world made him of obvious appeal as a shuttle sire, following in the footsteps of both his sire Danehill Dancer and illustrious grandsire Danehill. He started his stallion career in Australia at Coolmore, where he covered for 17 seasons until his retirement just over a year ago. During that time he also shuttled for 10 years to Ireland, standing initially at Castle Hyde Stud, before joining Coolmore's main farm in 2008.
His 100 stakes winners in 12 different countries include 11 individual Group 1 winners. Choisir's Australian-bred son Starspangledbanner (Aus) emulated him by winning the Golden Jubilee S., and went one better in the July Cup, as well as winning two Group 1 sprints at Caulfield, before beginning his own successful shuttle career. Despite suffering fertility issues in his early years which halted his trips north, Starspangledbanner resumed covering at Coolmore in Ireland after a two-year break and his own leading offspring are headed by The Wow Signal (Ire) and State Of Rest (Ire).
Choisir is also represented at stud in Australia by Aquis Farm's Group 1 winner Divine Prophet (Aus), while four-time Group 1 winner Olympic Glory (Ire), the sire of G1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Grand Glory (GB), is at Haras de Bouquetot in France, and G2 Coventry S. winner Rajasinghe (Ire) is at the National Stud in England.
Another of his Royal Ascot winners, the Wokingham S. victrix Laddies Poker Two (Ire), went on to become the dam of the dual Classic winner and four-time Group 1 scorer Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and in this sphere Choisir's influence continues to be felt.
He is also the broodmare sire of G1 Prince of Wales's S. winner My Dream Boat (Ire) (Lord Shanakill) and July Cup winner Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}), while another of his daughters, the listed winner Choose Me (Ire), has produced two Group 1 winners to have starred on QIPCO British Champions Day in Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), as well as the listed winner and group-placed Tisbutadream (Ire) (Dream Ahead).
“I was lucky enough to be at Ascot in 2003 to witness his incredible triumphs on the Tuesday and then the Saturday where he was ridden by Johnny Murtagh,” said Coolmore Australia's Tom Magnier. “It was a great achievement for his trainer Paul Perry and paved the way for future Australian sprinters to compete with distinction on the world stage.”
He added, “Since he retired to the farm in 2003 he has been a favourite with all those who have worked with him, especially our longtime stallion manager Gerry Ryan who was particularly fond of him. Choisir was the ultimate professional in all he did and every stud dreams of having a stallion like him. We are so grateful to him and he will be sorely missed by the entire Coolmore team.”
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