Scone Cup next for Churchill's Choice post Hawkesbury victory

The mare Churchill's Choice boasts a New South Wales provincial feature win already this autumn, and her explosive late surge positions her well for another on Friday at Scone.

Nathan Doyle's charge seeks to replicate her Group 3 Hawkesbury Cup triumph with a win in the $200,000 Listed Scone Cup (1600m), the highlight of the opening day in the two-day meeting.

Her tight but dominant shock result at Hawkesbury on May 2 was the four-year-old's return to the winners' list since a benchmark 72 at Randwick in December 2024, a result that pleased Doyle immensely.

Though the Newcastle-based handler would favour more recovery time between the two Cups, the Scone assignment this week was an unmissable prospect with her in peak shape.

"I don't think she's a horse that actually lacked too much confidence, it's just that she was probably too relaxed in the middle stages of her races," Doyle said.

"When they started to increase the tempo in the race, she just wanted to go through the motions a little bit, but she's bounced through the run good and I can't fault her.

"We think she's quite a fresh horse, so whether the two-week turnaround is a bit quick and she may need a little bit longer time will tell, but we haven't done much with her in between."

Churchill's Choice now has four career wins following Hawkesbury, her first since a perfect start with three straight victories.

Sired by Churchill, she was second in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) the year before on the Hawkesbury weekend, and runner-up too in the Group 3 Newcastle Stakes (1400m) at the start of this preparation.

In the Hawkesbury Cup, Regan Bayliss rode Churchill's Choice for the initial occasion, and Doyle wants the jockey retained for the coming race.

"I got Regan to have a sit on her at the trials before he rode her in the Hawkesbury Cup and he felt that flat spot she can hit and he got her through that period in Hawkesbury Cup," he said.

"He got on his bike quite early and I think that was the difference between winning the race or running a nice fourth or fifth, which is what she'd been normally doing."

Among the 37 entries for the Scone Cup are the last two victors Tavi Time and Sky Lab, Group 2 Ajax Stakes conqueror Cristal Clear, Depth Of Character who won last year's Queensland Guineas, plus Formal Display on a four-timer bid.

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