Fipke Could Win Elusive Australian G1 With Soul Choice

Canadian breeder and geologist Charles Fipke has already had a diamond mine, but he'll be sitting on another, in Thoroughbred terms, if the exciting Soul Choice can claim the March 25 Vinery Stud Stakes (G1) at Rosehill.

Fipke became a multi-millionaire on discovering the world's most precious stone in his homeland's Northwest Territories in the late 1980s. He parlayed that into becoming one of Canada's most renowned breeders, with stars including 2017 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Forever Unbridled  and grade 1 winner Perfect Soul.

After a chance viewing of the 2007 running of the Melbourne Cup (G1), in a bar in Calgary late on a Monday night surrounded by partying Australians, Fipke declared an ambition to win Australia's greatest race, which led to a New Zealand buying venture with Bart Cummings.

For the man with an apparent Midas touch, this was one prospecting mission that proved unsuccessful, but Fipke's interest in Australian racing had been born.

Now, 16 years later, the filly he retained from a mare he bred by Perfect Soul—Thislilsoulofmine —will line up for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable as a strong chance in the 2,000-meter Vinery Stakes.

Soul Choice, who crossed the Bass Strait to win her past two starts in Hobart's Strutt Stakes and Launceston's Tasmanian Oaks, is one of four runners in single-figure odds headed by outstanding New Zealand filly Prowess.

While those listed successes have greatly bolstered the filly's potential broodmare value, it would skyrocket if she can add a group 1 at her first attempt.

Not only would she become an elite-level winner, she's already as rare as the gems that made her owner-breeder rich as one of only nine fillies from the final 23-foal crop of the late great Redoute's Choice, Australia's three-time champion stallion over an eight-year span, and sire of 158 stakes-winners.

"Redoute's Choice mares at stud are pure gold, and this one has a great pedigree behind her, so if she gets a group 1 she'll be worth a small fortune," said Jon Freyer, bloodstock manager at Redoute's Choice's old home, Arrowfield Stud.

Fipke forged a bond with Freyer and Arrowfield boss John Messara at sales in Kentucky, with Freyer reporting "he's a terrific man, a great breeder, and a real character".

The geologist later worked with Arrowfield when fossicking into Australian breeding, targeting Redoute's Choice.

A third mating of the listed-placed mare Thislilsoulofmine and Redoute's Choice produced Redoute's Soul, a 4-year-old mare with Waterhouse-Bott who's won a Muswellbrook maiden from four starts, before the fourth attempt, which yielded Soul Choice.

Freyer said Fipke's motivation in targeting Redoute's Choice—apart from the super sire's record—was to duplicate the 1982 United States broodmare of the year, Best in Show, who's Redoute's Choice's fourth dam and Thislilsoulofmine's third. It may have finally worked in Soul Choice.

After winning a 1,600-meter Terang maiden Soul Choice stepped up to the testing 2,000 meters at Flemington and was only collared late when beaten a half length by the smart Dunkel. That gelding held her to a neck second in the Launceston Guineas two weeks later, before South Choice's two straight wins.

Still against her own sex today, Soul Choice will need to be tough to cross and lead—in her stable's usual style—under front-running gun Tim Clark from gate 12. Prowess, who claimed a fourth straight stakes win with her neck victory in the New Zealand Stakes (G1) March 11, is tipped for a forward position from barrier 3, with second-favorite Pavitra also likely to be on pace from gate 8.

Meanwhile, Gary Portelli feels there's reason to believe last year's champion Australian 2-year-old filly Fireburn could go one better in another bid for history when she runs beyond 1,600 meters for the first time in the Vinery.

A year ago, the Golden Slipper (G1) and Sires Produce Stakes (G1) winner fell a long neck short of becoming the first filly since Burst in 1992 to win Sydney's 2-year-old Triple Crown, when beaten by She's Extreme in the Champagne Stakes (G1).

Today, she's out to become only the second horse to complete the Slipper-Vinery double, after the mighty Miss Finland  in 2007.

"It's the second time she's had a crack at equaling some filly's long-standing record, so hopefully we'll get it this time," Portelli said. "It'd be an honor to match something achieved by a horse like Miss Finland."

Fireburn has been widely felt to have lost her way somewhat following her stellar juvenile season. Since the Champagne Stakes, she's finished no closer than fourth in six starts, five of them on good surfaces, contrasted the heavy tracks of her stunning last autumn.

But her latest fourth was a grinding effort on March 11—when two and a half lengths behind Zougotcha in the Phar Lap Stakes (G2) at Rosehill—which has given her trainer reason to believe she'll cover this 2,000 meters, and which has led bookmakers to install her as an AU$8 chance.