This expensive Extreme Choice filly was good enough to finish third on debut in the Group III VRC Ottawa Stakes last year and after spending the past 12 months sidelined with an unusual injury she made a winning return at Ballarat on Thursday.

Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, Tessa’s Choice was actually fourth over the line in the Ottawa, but with the winner Karavas disqualified months later following a positive swab, she was elevated into a placing putting valuable Black Type on her resume.

She pulled up with an injury from that run and reappeared in the 1200m maiden today with her ability intact. Tessa’s Choice chimed in with a good run for Damian Lane and kept going to the line to win by a length and a half with ears pricked.

Tessa’s Choice was a $500,000 Magic Millions purchase for Sheamus Mills Bloodstock from Meredith Park as agent for Balius Farm and is the fourth winner from four foals to race from Crimson Arow, a metro winning Sebring daughter of Group III winning juvenile Burning Sands.

Sheamus Milsl was on hand to watch the win and thrilled to have Tessa’s Choice back on track.

“Her first start, she came through it and obviously we were rapt and thought we had a horse on the up, but unfortunately she pulled up with a strain in a hind tendon,” Mills explained.

“That’s not something I’ve ever had before, but you know they invent ways to hurt themselves and she managed to find a new one for me.

“We decided with a tendon don’t risk anything and give her 12 months and here we are back at the races.

“She’s quite a scopey filly and we were actually a little surprised that she got there as a two year-old as I was always thinking three year old miler for her, but she is by Extreme Choice which I guess that is where she is getting a bit of her speed.”