A Royal, High & Global treble for Redoute's Choice
Three days after Redoute’s Choice topped the Inglis Easter Sale sire averages for the 9th time, a trio of stakes-winning 3YOs demonstrated why his progeny are in such demand.
Pictured: Royal Descent carries Gerry Harvey’s blue-and-white colours to Group 3 victory at Randwick today. (PHOTO: Sportpix)
On Black Caviar day at Royal Randwick, Gerry Harvey‘s home-bred filly Royal Descent (ex Mulan Princess by Kaapstad) proved too strong for her rivals in the ATC Adrian Knox S. 2000m G3.
She is the third consecutive Arrowfield-sired winner of the race following Crafty Irna (by Starcraft) in 2011, and Full of Spirit (by Flying Spur) in 2012.
Redoute’s Choice also had a hand in the placegetters, Arrowfield graduate Express Power and Unimpeachable, by his sons Snitzel and Bradbury’s Luck.
Royal Descent has progressed quickly since her debut win at Canterbury on 21 December and trainer Chris Waller indicated that a start in the Australian Oaks G1 next Saturday would now be considered for her.
The striking dark brown filly is the first stakeswinner left by Group 2 winner Mulan Princess, a half-sister to multiple Group winner & sire Falkirk. This is the high quality family of dual Group 1 winner Golden Sword, developed over many years in New Zealand by the partnership of Windsor Park Stud and private breeder Alan Burnet.
At Morphettville 3YO colt High Esteem (ex Park Esteem by Singspiel) led all the way in the Port Adelaide Guineas 1800m LR, his fourth win from 9 starts. Bellerive graduate Road Trippin’ (by Charge Forward) was a length away in second place.
High Esteem is trained by Peter Moody for a partnership including his breeder Cressfield, which sold him for $850,000 at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Sale, and Black Caviar’s part-owner Neil Werrett.
High Esteem’s 2YO full brother Great Esteem has shown promise with his second-start third placing in last month’s VRC Sires’ Produce S. G2. Their dam Park Esteem, a stakes-placed three-quarter sister to Group 1 winners Central Park and Moon Ballad, has since foaled fillies by Fastnet Rock and Redoute’s Choice.
Also in Adelaide, Jonathan Munz‘s homebred filly Global Balance (ex Balance of Nature by Storm Cat) added the SAJC Auraria S. 1800m G3 to her Tasmanian Oaks LR win with a determined effort that caught Maybe Discreet just before the finish-line. Global Balance, who is trained by David Hayes, has now won three of her six starts and almost $150,000 prizemoney.
Royal Descent and High Esteem take their champion sire’s lifetime record of stakeswinners to 105 – an outstanding 12% of all his runners. Nineteen of those stakeswinners have been successful this season, and 14 of them are from Redoute’s Choice’s 2009 crop. He is currently second on the Australian 3YO Sires’ list with prizemoney of $3.3 million.