Trainer Tony Noonan has gone back to basics with injury-plagued blue-blood Dubai's Choice and stripped him of most of his race day gear for his stable debut at Sandown.Blinkers, race plates and a tongue tie have all been ditched in favour of a lugging bit for the five-year-old who resumes from a cannon bone injury in Wednesday's Le Pine Funerals Cup (1000m)."We have taken lots of things off him but he trialled without all that gear at Cranbourne last month and he went okay," Noonan said."He has
Trainer Tony Noonan has gone back to basics with injury-plagued blue-blood Dubai's Choice and stripped him of most of his race day gear for his stable debut at Sandown.
Blinkers, race plates and a tongue tie have all been ditched in favour of a lugging bit for the five-year-old who resumes from a cannon bone injury in Wednesday's Le Pine Funerals Cup (1000m).
"We have taken lots of things off him but he trialled without all that gear at Cranbourne last month and he went okay," Noonan said.
"He has some good form as a young horse and hopefully he will find it again tomorrow."
Dubai's Choice has a lot to live up to being a son of Redoute's Choice and costing $1.8 million at the 2005 Sydney Easter Sale.
So far the results have been disappointing and remarkably he has earned just $81,450 from his 10 starts to date.
As a two-year-old the Blue Diamond Stakes was flagged for him after an impressive debut win at Rosehill in January 2006 but, troubled by severe growing pains, he managed just another four starts in 18 months causing Dubai's Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum to cut his losses and sell him.
Last year Jomar Park Stud's Anthony Gafa along with nine partners retained Tim Martin as Dubai Choice's trainer after paying "a bargain" $110,000 for the entire.
"We thought that with his pedigree that for that little amount of money he was probably worth taking the chance on," Gafa said.
Dubai's Choice is a brother to two-year-old Quick Blush who ran fourth in this year's Blue Diamond Stakes while his unraced Marauding dam, Saucy Nell, is a half-sister to six-time Group One winner Encounter.
Under his new ownership, keeping Dubai's Choice on the track again proved difficult and after winning first-up at Canterbury in June he beat only two horses home in his next four runs with a cannon bone injury ending his campaign last July.
"When he won his first start for us there was plenty of excitement but unfortunately his legs didn't let him run on," Gafa said.
Dubai's Choice spent a month in a paddock and for eight months was rehabilitated using a water walker.
Gafa said he still believed in the horse and has high hopes that he can still realise his potential after being narrowly beaten in a Cranbourne barrier trial on May 11.
"If we can get him right I think we will see some good stuff from him," Gafa said.