Encouraging Win for Choisir Filly

1st August 2007

The 1200 metre maiden for three year-old fillies at Rosehill on Wednesday attracted a smart field with victory going to the powerhouse Choisir filly Occurrence (3f Choisir - Happens, by Barathea), a $75,000 purchase from the draft of Southern Cross Breeders at the 2006 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

The Bart Cummings trained filly was heavily backed into favouritism on the strength of two recent good barrier trials and was given the run of the race from barrier three by Tye Angland.

She box seated throughout in third place on the fence and accelerated impressively in the straight to zoom past Afterwards and score a convincing win by more than a length at just her second race start.

“She didn’t pull and settled beautifully so might be able to get further, although she is bred to be a sprinter and if she does nothing else she certainly gets six furlongs well,” said a delighted Cummings.

Bred and offered for sale by Martin Hawcroft’s Byerley Stud under the banner of Southern Cross Breeders, Occurrence is the second foal of the stakes-placed Barathea (IRE) mare Happens, a daughter of Irish Group Three winner Eichtercua (IRE).

The win of Occurrence provided a perfect start to the new racing season for Choisir, who took the title of Champion Australian First Season Sire for 2006/2007 by earnings.