[PHOTO: Western Racepix]
Demerit gelding Oly’s Choice broke through for a deserved victory at Ascot on Saturday when rocketing home to take out the Singapore Pools Trophy 2024 (1400m) in style.
The five-year-old had been bursting to win a race during a largely luckless campaign where he’d run a series of minor placings after featuring prominently in stewards’ reports but had a welcome change of fortune under the guidance of champion jockey William Pike.
Backed into $3 favouritism prior to the jump, Pike settled Oly’s Choice one-out and three-back in running before peeling three and four-wide turning for home and the big bay unleashed a powerful finish to hit the lead passing the 150m mark and pull away to win by almost two lengths.
Desennea ($5) finished second, with Zephyra ($26) a further neck away in third place.
Oly’s Choice has now scored a win, two seconds, a third and six top-four finishes from his eight starts in his first race campaign in the care of Pearce Racing, extending his career record to 23 starts for five wins, six minor placings and $225,910 in stake earnings and Westspeed Platinum bonuses.
Meanwhile, stablemate Lord Vampi finished third in the $400,000 Group 2 WATC Derby (2400m) on the day, whilst Triple Jay finished a narrow third in his respective race.
The Pearce stable has Ima Wild Girl, Black Sands and Fuel The Friar engaged at Narrogin on Sunday.