Bankers Choice brings up 10th win

The well-travelled Bankers Choice (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) is seven weeks away from his ninth birthday but is still a force to be reckoned with on the racetrack, recording the 10^th victory of his career in Saturday’s A$150,000 Quayclean Handicap (1800m) at Sandown.

The Mongolian Khan gelding has become a stable favourite for his latest trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes, having previously been trained by Stephen Marsh and then the late Mike Moroney.

Bankers Choice has now had 57 starts for 10 wins, seven seconds, six thirds and A$1.73 million in stakes. Earlier in his career, he won the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham and the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) and Ballarat Cup (2000m) in Victoria. His long list of feature placings includes the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m), Gr.2 Crystal Mile (1600m), Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) and Gr.2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m).

“He’s a super horse to have in the stable, especially through these winter months,” JD Hayes said. “It’s a big thrill to see him back in the winner’s circle again, after a while between drinks, and get this result for his ownership group.”

More than a year had passed since Bankers Choice’s ninth victory, which was in the Mornington Cup in April of 2025. But he had been a five-time placegetter in between times including the Peter Young, the Gr.3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m), the Gr.3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) and the Listed Ansett Classic (2415m).

A daring front-running ride by apprentice jockey Jackson Radley had come up just short when Bankers Choice ran a last-start second at Sandown on May 23, edged out by Pudding (NZ) (Tavistock) in a photo finish. Radley repeated those tactics on Saturday and went one better.

Bankers Choice straightened for home with a commanding lead, and despite being under siege late with Smokin’ Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines) pushing through on his inside while Sir Atlas (Sir Percy) flashed home out wide, there would be no catching the topweight. Bankers Choice clung on to win by a nose.

“I love this horse and I was pretty pleased to get the win on him,” Radley said. “He’s a bit of a dude, a bit of a character. I’ve been looking forward to him all week, and I’m just glad we pulled it off today.

“The key with him is, over the 1800m here, you get a beautiful, long run in. You stay out wide pretty much until the corner, and that just helps him switch off and relax. If you get in a pulling battle with him, he doesn’t finish off as well as he’s capable of.

“He can sustain a long gallop, like we’ve seen today, and he can pick up some more wins, at least at this time of the year.”

Bred and raced by South Waikato farming couple Ross and Corrine Kearney under their Okaharau Station banner, Bankers Choice won five of his 10 starts for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh before a majority interest was sold to clients of the Moroney stable in a private transaction.

Out of the Conatus mare Signorina (NZ), Bankers Choice is a full-brother to Checkmate (NZ) (Mongolian Khan), a Listed winner and third in last year’s NZ$3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m).