Choisir and Stratum were always going to be incredibly hard acts to follow as two-year-old talents, and the search continues for trainer Paul Perry.
The Newcastle trainer struck the jackpot when he bought the chestnut colt that would become Choisir for $55,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2001.
Choisir won the Breeders’ Plate on debut and was placed in the triple crown races for two-year-olds in 2002 – the Golden Slipper, Sires Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes.
As an older horse, Choisir became a trail blazer when Perry took the gamble to take him to Royal Ascot where he won the King’s Stand and Golden Jubilee Stakes.
He was bought by Coolmore for stud duties and has amassed 1003 winners, including 86 at stakes level, setting the benchmark for Perry’s stable.
He produced the Perry-trained The Mission, winner of the 2017 Champagne Stakes.
Stratum won the 2005 Golden Slipper with the best of his progeny four-time Group One winner Streama.
“We were spoiled for about 10 years and it’s been another 10 years since we’ve found one,” Perry’s son and foreman Nathan said.
“Every trainer wakes up hoping for another one.”
Perry has 18 two-year-olds in his system with Ragged Rascal so far the best of them.
The colt steps up to metropolitan Saturday grade at Randwick in the Inglis Nursery, an assignment Nathan Perry never envisaged when he arrived at the stable.
“We all laughed when we saw his name and then when he came from the breakers he used to buck all the time,” he said.
“It’s been a long process to get him to this race. Our track riders had their work cut out so it’s good to actually get him to this kind of race.”
Ragged Rascal has had two starts at Muswellbrook, and won the second to warrant a trip to Sydney but the Golden Slipper is a distant thought.
“I didn’t think we’d get him to a race this prep but with each race he’s got more confidence,” Perry said.
