Debut 2YO is the 81st SW for Redoute's Choice
The 2YO Redoute’s Choice filly Mama’s Choice achieved a lot today when she swooped from beyond most punters’ calculations to win the MRC Chairman’s S. 1100m LR at Caulfield.
Pictured: Mama’s Choice wins today’s MRC Chairman’s S. LR by a half-length from Formidable & Jimando in a time of 1.04.70. (PHOTO: Sportpix)
She maintained a fine run of racing success by her owner-breeder Jonathan Munz, responsible for this season’s Group 2 winner Rekindled Interest and talented Group-placed 3YO Rekindled Alliance, both by Redoute’s Choice. Munz is also a co-owner of Lemieux, a 5YO son of Redoute’s Choice who scored his fifth consecutive win from the Paul Messara stable at the Sunshine Coast yesterday.
Reared at Bellerive Stud, Mama’s Choice is the 81st individual stakeswinner, and the eighth ANZ stakeswinner this season for her champion sire. Her performance bested her precocious dam Red Hot Mama, who won the VRC Ottawa S. LR at her second start in 2004.
Red Hot Mama (by General Nediym) is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Hollow Bullet and previously left the stakes-placed winner Red Hot Choice to Redoute’s Choice. She has a yearling full brother to Mama’s Choice and Red Hot Choice, and a colt foal by High Chaparral, but sadly the mare herself died on 7 January.
Mama’s Choice has also strengthened her sire’s hand in the MRC Blue Diamond S. G1 on 25 February. It’s a race he made his own some time ago, of course. Redoute’s Choice won the Blue Diamond at his second start in 1999, and has already produced two winners of the race, Undoubtedly (2005) and Nadeem (2006).
This year Mama’s Choice joins another debut-winning daughter of Redoute’s Choice in the fixed odds betting for the Blue Diamond. Magic Millions Classic runner-up No Looking Back is currently on the second line of betting at $7.00, with Mam’s Choice now paying $9.00, alongside Jimando and Applegate.
Mama’s Choice’s trainer David Hayes had some confidence ahead of today’s race, but knew it would be difficult for his filly to win on debut from barrier nine.
Jockey Dwayne Dunn went straight to the back on the filly as favourite Jimando led them to the turn, before Mama’s Choice peeled wide and surged home in emphatic fashion.
“We’ll be right in it [the Blue Diamond] I’d say, we’ve hit form at the right time,” Hayes said.
“Often in this era, it never happened in the old era, Diamond winners step out around now.”
Arrowfield sires have dominated the Blue Diamond in the past decade, with Flying Spur (sire of Sleek Chassis, 2007), Hussonet (Reaan, 2008) and Starcraft (Star Witness, 2010) extending the Stud’s honour roll to five winners from the past ten runnings of the race.
