Plans to run Melbourne Cup hero Knight’s Choice during next month’s Magic Millions Carnival have been abandoned, with the gelding instead to be given a gradual build-up toward late-season feature races in Queensland.
The Sheila Laxon-trained stayer has raced only once since his famous Flemington triumph in the Melbourne Cup in 2024, with his 2025 spring campaign derailed by a Strangles outbreak that locked down Macedon Lodge and all horses at the property.
The infection has now been fully contained, and Laxon confirmed the son of Extreme Choice is back in work and thriving.
Connections had considered the Magic Millions Subzero (2200m), but mid-January now comes too soon.
“He’s only been in the last week but he’s really happy, really well and jumping out of his skin,” Laxon told Radio TAB. “He’s done extremely well while he’s been out on his holiday.”
A Queensland return remains the long-term goal, with Laxon identifying the Group 2 Q22 (2200m) in June as a more realistic target. Knight’s Choice ran a bold second at $91 in the 2024 edition behind Fawkner Park.
“We’ll probably head for the Q22,” Laxon said. “We were thinking about the Magic Millions but we’ve run out of time to get there. We might follow the same path that we did on that good journey in 2024.”
