A son of the horse that sent trainer Paul Perry on his trailblazing Royal Ascot mission carries the stable’s early season two-year-old hopes at Rosehill.
Choisir colt The Mission is set to have his second start in Saturday’s two-year-old handicap at Rosehill over 1100m.
Choisir took Perry to Royal Ascot where he won the 2003 King’s Stand Stakes and backed up four days later to win the Golden Jubilee Stakes.
While he was already a Group One winner in Australia, Choisir’s heroics in England paved the way for Australian sprinting stars to travel to the famous carnival.
But despite his bloodlines, The Mission doesn’t bare much of a family resemblance to the champion who sired him.
“I don’t think he’s of that mould. He’s a bay horse and there’s a bit of length about him,” Perry said.
The Newcastle trainer has a strong history of developing top-class colts.
Aside from Choisir, he also trained super sire Fastnet Rock and the late Stratum.
Perry bought The Mission, a sibling of the James Cummings-trained Smart Amelia, from the Magic Millions yearling sale on the Gold Coast for $32,500.
The Mission was a long neck away from Godolphin colt Piracy who was one of two horses to break 51 seconds during the first official two-year-old trials at Randwick on September 19.
But he couldn’t replicate that form in the Listed Breeders’ Plate on October 1, finishing 17 lengths last.
Perry said he was unsure if there was an issue with The Mission that day.
“He sort of got going to the barrier,” Perry said.
“He didn’t jump out that well, he didn’t begin that well and he didn’t take part more than anything.”
Following the Randwick misfire, Perry opted to send the colt around in a 900m trial at Muswellbrook on October 30 which he won by a length.
Perry is hoping to capitalise on Tim Clark’s supreme confidence after the jockey backed up a career-best five winners at Canterbury on Saturday by riding Hostwin Vintage to a dominant victory at Gosford on Wednesday.
“He’s in form, let’s hope it can keep going,” Perry said.
The Mission is at $9.50 in market led by the John O’Shea-trained Veranillo who is the $2.60 favourite.
