Plans for Melbourne Cup hero Knight’s Choice to race during next month’s Magic Millions Carnival on the Gold Coast have been scrapped, with the star stayer to instead be given a slow build-up to late season feature races in Queensland.
Knight’s Choice has only raced once since his Flemington heroics in 2024, with an untimely bout of Strangles curtailing his 2025 spring campaign.
That Strangles outbreak, which locked down Macedon Lodge and all the horses on the famous property, has now been contained and trainer Sheila Laxon said the gelding is back in work and feeling well.
While the $1 million Magic Millions Subzero (2200m) had been considered by connections, the son of Extreme Choice won’t be ready to race in mid January.
A return to Queensland remains the aim, although Laxon said the Q22 (2200m) in June is a more realistic target. At $91, Knight’s Choice ran second to Fawkner Park in the 2024 Q22.
“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.”
“We’ll probably head for the Q22.”
“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).”
The Strangles outbreak meant that Laxon and training partner John Symons had no Victoria runners between 14 September and 5 November.
Most horses at Macedon Lodge have returned to work since the property was cleared of infection.
