Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Busselton trainer Barry Howlett was an admirer of speedy chestnut Pazam, who shone with 19 wins from 31 starts in WA in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he jumped at the opportunity to buy a closely related colt as a yearling in New Zealand in 2018.
“Trevor Warwick trained and drove Pazam, and he had a high opinion of the horse,” explained Howlett. “So, that was the reason I bought this Sweet Lou colt by the name of Classic Choice.”
Classic Choice is the second foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Heart Of Jessie, whose dam Jessie Grace produced ten winners, including Pazam, who won at three of his eight New Zealand appearances before shining on the track in WA.
Classic Choice, unplaced at his previous nine starts and with a losing sequence of 15, was a $5.60 chance from out wide at barrier eight in the 2130m Michael Young Pacing Stables Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he bounced back to his best form with a vengeance with an impressive victory.
He was driven aggressively by Chris Lewis, who dashed the six-year-old into the breeze after racing three wide for the first 400m. Gran Chico ($7.50) set the pace, with Classic Choice travelling powerfully in the breeze before he surged to the front 350m from home and won by almost two lengths from the $4.40 favourite Kimble, who was seventh on the pegs at the bell before finishing with a solid burst.
The win was Classic Choice’s first in a metropolitan-class event and it improved his record to 53 starts for 12 wins, 16 placings and stakes of $108,633.
His previous success was when he raced without cover and beat Strike Team and Al Guerrero in the Manea Classic at Bunbury in February 2022. Two starts before that Classic Choice won the Albany Cup when he set the pace and beat his stablemate Sugar Street by ten lengths, rating 1.58.4 to set a track record over 2690m.
“Classic Choice is not a sit-sprinter,” said Howlett. “He has a high cruising speed which he can maintain for a long way. He has been trying to race in the breeze but bad barriers and being forced wide ruined his chances of getting to the breeze.
“Classic Choice used to be erratic, pull a fair bit and break up. But he has now settled down. He hits his knees quite badly and races with spreaders.”
Howlett purchased Classic Choice’s full-sister as a weanling in New Zealand. She is named Sweet Jessie and is now a three-year-old who has yet to race.
“She had bone chips in both hind legs and had surgery to remove them,” said Howlett.