Venerable galloper Bankers Choice (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) provided a feel-good story for all concerned when he became trainer Glen Thompson’s first solo victor since the recent shock passing of his co-trainer Mike Moroney.
The seven-year-old son of Mongolian Khan proved too good for his rivals in a tactical five-horse field when scoring a comfortable three-quarters of a length victory in the DCE Handicap (2400 METRES).
Under the guidance of jockey Daniel Stackhouse, Bankers Choice sat outside leader Le Don De Vie (Leroidesanimaux) and applied pressure from the 600m to establish a winning break and ultimately run out a ready winner in a sedate 2:31.26.
With Thompson in Sydney with Group One galloper Coeur Volante (NZ)(Proisir), it was left to long-time stable representative Anthony Feroce to receive the plaudits in a tonic for all at Ballymore Stables.
“That’s fantastic. We had Mike’s memorial on Tuesday and we’ve got the funeral on Monday and that’s just a lovely way to start the day,” Feroce said.
“It’ll be great for Glen. He’s a trainer in his own right now, so it’s a great start and he’s up in Sydney there with our mare in the Coolmore Classic.”
Feroce said Bankers Choice had only once been tried over 2400m previously and that was when runner-up in the Gr.2 Zipping Classic (2400m).
“Our plan in the spring when we brought him back after a long break was to set him for the Caulfield Cup (Gr.1, 2400m),” Feroce said.
“I remember chatting to Mike about it. His only run at 2400, he ran second and behind us was Duke De Sessa (Lope De Vega) (subsequent Gr.1 Caulfield Cup winner).
“I said, let’s plan to get him to the Caulfield Cup. We got to the Turnbull (Gr.1, 2000m) and he was going terribly, so we had to change plans.
“Going forward from here, our thoughts are we might just give him a bit of a freshen up and head to the Warrnambool Cup (Listed, 2350m). He does like wet tracks, so that could be an ideal race for him.”
Winning jockey Daniel Stackhouse was thrilled to ride a winner for Thompson and said Moroney had been a big supporter when he relocated from New Zealand to Australia.
Glen’s done such a great job since Mike’s passing and also that was for Mike. He was a big supporter of mine as soon as I moved over to Australia. He gave me a good go and a good opportunity, so it’s nice to keep rewarding the stable,” Stackhouse said.
“I thought we got it quite moderate and quite easy. I just wanted to get on my bike and get going and take the rest off the bridle. He’s a fit horse, I knew what I had underneath me. I knew he would keep going.”
Bred and raced by South Waikato farming couple Ross and Corrine Kearney under their Okaharau Station, Bankers Choice won five of his ten starts for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh before a majority interest was sold to clients of the Moroney stable in a private transaction.
Out of the Conatus mare Signorina (NZ), Bankers Choice is a full-brother to the highly talented three-year-old Checkmate (NZ), a Listed winner and third-place getter in last week’s $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m).
Bankers Choice is also a half-sister to seven-time winner and Group Two placegetter Jodelin Gal (NZ), a daughter of Swiss Ace.
With eight wins and eight placings from 44 starts, Bankers Choice has been a great money spinner for connections, amassing A$1,294,752 in prize money.
