Saturday's G1 Coolmore Stud S. has shaped up to be one of the most anticipated contests of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, having drawn a contentious field of 3-year-old sprinters, and Extreme Choice (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) gets the slight nod in the early betting off an impressive win over elders in Moonee Valley's G1 Moir S. in his first start of the season Sept. 30. The Mick Price trainee was returning from an extended break off a juvenile campaign that saw him win the G3 Chairman's S. and G1 Blue Diamond S. over this trip before finishing eighth in the G1 Golden Slipper. Extreme Choice will once again meet stablemate and Blue Diamond-second Flying Artie (Aus) (Artie Schiller), who was third in the Slipper. Flying Artie was a 1 1/4-length first-up winner of the G3 Blue Sapphire S. over this trip at Caulfield Oct. 12.
Astern (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), considered one of the most exciting colts of his generation after winning the G1 Golden Rose S. in impressive fashion earlier this campaign, comes into this with something to prove after being overturned by Russian Revolution (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) in the G2 Roman Consul S. Oct. 1, but that effort didn't discourage trainer John O'Shea, who this week said, “I think he's the best I've trained.”
Jockey James McDonald added, “I get goosebumps talking about [Astern]. We're taking on a very good lineup of 3-year-olds and he's going to have to be very good to beat them. But he is very good. He developed very well from his 2-year-old to 3-year-old season, and his 2-year-old season was brilliant. He was a flighty 2-year-old, but he's a man now. He's taking on some exceptional sprinters, but I think he's up to it.”
Golden Slipper winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) joins Russian Revolution from the Peter and Paul Snowden yard, and he looks to get back on track after settling for third in the Roman Consul off a fourth first-up in the soft track G3 San Domenico S. Aug. 13. Capitalist was re-routed here from last Friday's G1 Manikato S. after being scratched when the track came up soft once again, and he will meet his San Domenico conqueror Star Turn (Aus) (Star Witness {Aus}), who followed up a second to Astern in the G2 Run To The Rose Aug. 27 with a win in the G2 Schillaci S. Oct. 8.
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