Source: Racing NSW, Ray Hickson
Photo: Bradley Photos

With a Big Dance ticket already in the back pocket, trainer Nathan Doyle says the spring provides plenty of options for classy mare Churchill’s Choice beyond her return at Newcastle on Friday.

The five-year-old, winner of the Hawkesbury Cup earlier this year, kicks off her campaign in the Group 3 $250,000 NZB Tibbie Stakes (1400m) and while Doyle is flush with races to pick from one race she won’t be contesting is the Epsom Handicap.

Aside from not being nominated, he feels the timing isn’t right and if she does contest a big Randwick mile it’d be the $3 million Big Dance.

“The Epsom is only two weeks away, if you target an Epsom most horses would be third and fourth up into their preparation,’’ Doyle said.

“It will come around too quick and if I can keep her to mares grade it might be the play for her.

“There’s plenty of options and I wouldn’t hesitate to take her to Melbourne either.

“She can be frustrating at times, you’d say she’s quite immature mentally the way she drops the bridle.

“She’s a very sound horse, lightly raced, so I think the best is ahead of her. She’s probably got a good race in her if she can hold it all together in a run and not drop the bridle.”

Churchill’s Choice was runner-up in the Newcastle Stakes at the start of her autumn campaign, after the Hawkesbury Cup she ran second in the Scone Cup and was narrowly beaten in a $500,000 mares race at Eagle Farm in June.

Doyle is expecting her to be a player in the finish first-up and he isn’t putting any emphasis on her two barrier trials at Gosford, saying everything is in order at home.

“Her trials have probably been a bit ‘how you going’ when you look at them but around tight turning circuits is not her go,’’ he said.

“I was happy the way she was through the line and after it she’s quite strong. She seems to be working well at home so we can’t fault her into her first up run.

“She always runs well fresh and that’s always a bonus. She looks ready enough to go without having race fitness under her belt.”

Group 2 winner Hidden Motive makes a low key return in the Nick Moraitis Trophy (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday with Doyle looking to rebuild his confidence.

Last spring’s Roman Consul Stakes winner was placed in the Fireball behind Beadman when resuming in the autumn but didn’t fire in two subsequent starts including the Group 3 Irwin Stakes in Adelaide.

“He’s had the three trials, he holds good condition so we thought that would benefit him first-up,’’ Doyle said.

“He’s back to 88 grade and we’ll see what races we want to target with him after Saturday, that will tell the tale.

“He is a Magic Millions horse, he could be hard to catch around the Gold Coast, so we have that to consider.”