Apollo’s Choice (Douglas Whyte) has the better of the grey Level Player (Andreas Suborics) in a dirt trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday. Photo: Kenneth Chan
Apollo’s Choice had his classic aspirations ended before they even started but the David Hall-trained Australian import may yet collect some cheques this season after a confidence-building dirt trial win at Sha Tin on Tuesday.
A two-time winner over sprint trips and third in the Group Two Sandown Guineas over a mile, Apollo’s Choice ran once over 1,400m for Hall before a tendon injury picked up in trackwork sidelined the son of Choisir and put paid to any chance of pushing for a place in the four-year-old races.
A gelding operation followed in early November and Apollo’s Choice returned with a game unplaced effort over 1,400m after jumping from gate 10 and sitting wide in an on-pace dominated contest.
Stepping up to a mile in a competitive Class Two, Apollo’s Choice was a sound fifth, hitting the front briefly in the straight before being overwhelmed by some race-fit opposition.
Apollo’s Choice is now rated 83, down from 86 when he arrived, and yesterday’s 1,200m heat win will have him up to the mark fitness-wise for his next race start.
Douglas Whyte has ridden Apollo’s Choice at his last two starts and was aboard in the trial, getting a clean break to find the box seat in a slowly run trial. When trial leader Level Player drifted from the fence in the straight, Whyte seized an opportunity to give Apollo’s Choice a nice blow-out over the final 200m, booting up on the inside to score by a nose.
Even though the overall time of 1.11.01s was slow on a track that has been playing faster than ever, the final 400m of 22.8s indicated that the final furlong was a decent test.
Link to trial replay
Article: Moment of truth for Hall’s Apollo after dirt trial win
Accessed: 01 Apr 15
South China Morning Post by Michael Cox
