Redoute's Choice bats 90 not out
Last season Redoute’s Choice opened his Australian stakes-winning account on 27 August when King’s Rose claimed the MRC Memsie S. G2. The 4YO mare was the first of a remarkable 17 worldwide stakeswinners for Arrowfield’s champion sire in 2011/12.
Pictured: Albrecht becomes the the season’s first stakeswinner by Redoute’s Choice in today’s ATC Up and Coming S. G3 – a race also won by the brilliant colt, and now sensational young sire Snitzel in 2005. (PHOTO: Sportpix)
Redoute’s Choice has bettered that quick start this season by posting not one, but two stakeswinners in Sydney today. Darley‘s 3YO colt Albrecht (ex O’Giselle by Octagonal) powered home down the middle of the track at Warwick Farm to win the $125,000 ATC Up and Coming S. 1300m G3 and become his sire’s 90th individual stakeswinner. Albrecht won by a half-length from Toydini, with Hussonet’s son Tatra a neck away third.
The season’s first Group 1 race, the $1 million ATC Golden Rose S. over 1400 metres at Rosehill on 10 September will now be considered as a serious option for Albrecht, whose dam is an unraced sister to champion racehorse & sire Lonhro.
Albrecht, cleverly named for Giselle’s lover in the famous ballet, is the first stakeswinner from only five runners so far bred by matching Redoute’s Choice with a mare by a son of Zabeel. It’s a combination that will surely be pursued by breeders, given the outstanding success of the direct Redoute’s Choice/Zabeel cross, responsible for 11 stakes performers (20.7%) from 53 runners, including champion filly Samantha Miss and Group winners Dolmabache, Burgundy, Red Lord & Fast ‘N’ Famous.
Redoute’s Choice’s 6YO daughter Dystopia (ex Bourgeois by Luskin Star) is a very different style of horse from her Golden Slipper-winning brother Stratum, and has needed time to show her best. Her best has been worth waiting for though, and today her owners the Ingham family, breeder Reavill Farm and trainer Chris Waller enjoyed her second stakes win, in the $100,000 ATC Toy Show Quality 1300m LR.
It was a particularly good effort by Dystopia’s jockey Hugh Bowman, because the saddle slipped just as the mare was making her run in the straight. Bowman’s superb horsemanship got Dystopia home by a nose from Starcraft ‘s determined daughter Crafty Irna, with Irish Dream a length back in third position.
Dystopia has now won or placed in 15 of her 23 starts for earnings of $385,230.
John Singleton‘s home-bred 4YO Strawberry Boy (ex Strawberry Girl (USA) by Strawberry Road) completed a treble for Redoute’s Choice at Warwick Farm with a strong win over 1300 metres in class record time of 1:16.12. His trainer Gai Waterhouse afterwards described the gelding as “the most exciting horse; he could do anything, go anywhere.” The Epsom, the Metropolitan and the Caulfield Cup are among the races being considered as spring targets for Strawberry Boy.
Redoute’s Choice stands in 2012 at a fee of $137,500 inc. GST.
