Price tags can bring expectations but one common phrase is always that “horses don’t know how much they cost”. Chrysos is by the superstar American stallion Medaglia D’Or and has all the physical attributes which explains why he could take the eye at the sales. Thankfully he can gallop too and proved that when galloping his rivals into submission in the 1m Watch Racing Free Online At Coral Novice Stakes at Lingfield.

The powerful colt made his debut closer to home, when going to Newcastle at the beginning of 2022. It was a run full of promise and certainly showed connections that they could have a winning waiting. Racing a little keen early on, Chrysos then cruised into contention and was the one to side with heading into the latter stages. It was at this point that experience came to the fore with Chrysos just looking a little green before getting tired in the final 1/2f. The winner had form behind him and would be given a good mark of 88. When the second placed horse went out and bolted up just 12 days later, it seemed as though Chrysos should be a major player on his next run.

Little over month later he would travel to Lingfield for another 1m novice. When the declarations came out it looked as though the race would revolve around Chrysos. If he could improve then he would hard to beat as all known form was not as strong as his debut. Jamie Spencer had been on board for the first run and was booked again as the pair would dominate the betting, going off the even money favourite.

On the best horse, Jamie kept it very simple and took the race by the scruff of the neck. Bouncing out from the gates Chrysos took the lead and would not relinquish it throughout the race. Setting a good gallop he was chased by nearest market rival Mizmar but would prove too strong for him and the other rivals. Jamie stayed away from the rail down the back straight, allowing his mount to use his stride and take the bend at a smoother angle. Chrysos was in complete control and never looked in danger at any stage of the mile contest.

When they rounded the bend and straightened for him, around 1 1/2f out, Chrysos was still cruising on the bridle. The rest were under pressure but more importantly his nearest rival could not make any inroads on the lead. Chrysos  could probably be left to himself but Jamie was keen to educate the colt too and got into his drive passing the 1f marker. The lead quickly opened up and confirmed the win. As they neared the line the gap did diminish with a little easing from the saddle but also some signs of inexperience too. Having not seen a rival, Chrysos easily shed his maiden tag by 1 3/4 lengths.

Chrysos is a big, powerful and athletic colt who showed all those traits when winning here. The form shown from his debut run was good enough to win this contest and with improvement it did seem as though it was his to lose. He couldn’t have been any more impressive and Jamie gave the colt the perfect ride, allowing him to utilise his stride. Chrysos has been impressive so far and it will be interesting to see what options are coming up for the colt. There may be a return to Lingfield and a step up in class in the near future.

Breeding doesn’t always guarantee success but it can certainly be a pointer in the right direction, giving the most reliable source. When you cross a Group performing mare and high class stallion, the expectation is obviously going to be there. Alia Choice is the first progeny of the Group 1 placed Queen Kindly and she gained the vital win when comfortably taking the 5f Glyn Hopkin Novice Stakes at Chelmsford.

The 3yo filly had taken some time to get to the track, only making her debut in late 2021. Owned and bred by Mr Jaber Abdullah, Alia Choice made her first start at Newcastle, contesting a competitive 5f Novice. Showing her inexperience, Alia raced a little keen before just getting tired in the latter stages, finishing a very promising 4th on debut. With the winner of the contest rated 90 and third coming in at 85, the form of that run was strong increasing the promise shown on debut.

At the turn of the year there were not too many options over the minimum trip so Alia Choice would wait until February to get back on the track. Limited races meant that the 3yo would have to travel south to Chelmsford but she would ensure it was a worthwhile journey. The level of form on show was not as strong as her debut effort, so Alia Choice would be sent off the 5/4 fav. With the promise shown and Kevin’s horses history of improving following their debut, there was confidence behind the filly.

All-weather championship leading jockey, David Probert, was booked for the ride. Not the fastest away, Alia Choice quickly settled to chase the lead through the early stages. Experience and this cover meant that the filly settled a lot better this time round and she travelled supremely well throughout the contest. Getting a toe through the first couple of furlongs the field entered the bend with very little separating all 7 runners.

Swinging off the home turn and under 2f to run, David edged Alia Choice out for a run. Having travelled well to this point the filly moved through the gears and looked to chase down the leader. As the race developed the leader continued to travel powerfully in front as the rest were under a drive. Alia Choice was making good progress and was soon to change the face of the contest. Under a strong Probert drive, Alia joined the leader and forced their hand. Now, for the first time, the leader cam under pressure and quickly surrendered the lead. Momentum was with Alia and she began to really move through the gears. The final furlong allowed Alia Choice to stretch clear and the filly powered away from her rivals to secure a first victory by a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths.

It was great to see Alia Choice learn from her debut experience and put in a professional performance like this. Settling well, Alia travelled smoothly throughout and was then able to quicken off that pace. Once Alia had joined the lead there was only going to be one result and she put the race to bed with ease. It is always important for owner/breeders to gain wins with their well bred progeny so it was fantastic to do that for Mr Jaber Abdullah. Having taken time to hit the track, Alia Choice can make up for that this year. With just two runs under her belt there is a lot of potential and it was be very interesting to see where she can go from this performance.