Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice set for winter homecoming before defending spring title

Knight’s Choice will be headed back to Queensland in the coming weeks, with a rich staying race on the agenda for connections before likely heading back to the Melbourne Cup.

Melbourne Cup hero Knight’s Choice could be set for a winter homecoming, with the star stayer set to aim up at the Queensland carnival before being set for a title defence of the race that stops the nation.

Co-trainer Sheila Laxon said connections would meet this week to make a decision on his future, with the Group 2 Q22 (2200m) set to feature high on the agenda before a trip back to Victoria in search of back-to-back Melbourne Cups.

Laxon, a two-time winner of the race, said husband and training partner John Symons were already on the hunt for their next Knight’s Choice.

• How a $1000 mare from Walcha produced a Cup miracle

Laxon and Symons recently attended the Ready To Run sale in New Zealand and will head back to Victoria this week to reunite with Knight’s Choice before bringing him home to the Sunshine Coast.

“It sounds a bit like his best options might be the Q22 in Brisbane over the winter and then going back to the Melbourne Cup next year,” Laxon said.

“We are hoping Mission Of Love can follow the same path as him.

“It would be marvellous if we could get them back to Victoria next year.”

Laxon, who will look to enter rare air as a three-time winner of the Melbourne Cup, said people often looked for the wrong horses in the race.

Knight’s Choice will aim for back-to-back Melbourne Cups. Picture: Daniel Pockett — Getty Images

• Racing mourns Hall of Fame trainer Pat Duff

“We were talking about it afterwards and John goes ‘why didn’t you tell me it was like this, we could have been doing it years ago’,” Laxon laughed of her perfect Melbourne Cup record.

“You have to have the cattle to do it.

“A lot of people think sprinters aren’t horses to be going to the Melbourne Cup with, but I have always said they need to be able to win over 1200m or so to have the acceleration to win.

“Having the horses at Macedon Lodge, you can put the miles into them to get them over the ground, then they have the ability to sprint to finish it off.

“We are on the hunt to find some horses to do it again, Macedon Lodge is a key factor for us when we go down there.

“It gives you incredible oomph winning the Cup, it goes to show you can do this, Australians can win this race.

“We have the incentive there to carry on an try to do it again.

“The response we have had from Australians has been phenomenal, we have been overwhelmed.”

Originally published as Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice set for winter homecoming before defending spring title