Redoute's Choice strikes with 64th million-dollar yearling

Champion sire Redoute’s Choice struck on the third day of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale with his 64th seven-figure yearling, a stunning colt offered by Newhaven Park.

From Hades, a city-winning daughter of Encosta de Lago and Champion 2YO Filly Hasna, the colt was knocked down to Gai Waterhouse, James Harron and US owners Jon & Sarah Kelly for $1 million.

He is the tenth yearling by Redoute’s Choice sold for $1 million or more at the Magic Millions Sale since 2007.

The Kellys are no strangers to this part of the world, after visiting Australia and New Zealand regularly over the past 40 years.

They race some 60 horses in the USA and England, and have previously bought and raced horses in Australia, but this was their first visit and purchase at Magic Millions.

As reported by Thoroughbred News, Jon Kelly said of the Redoute’s Choice colt, “He is probably the nicest young colt in the sale, he has a great shoulder and hip on him. He might go as far as a mile, he needs to grow a little bit, but he has all the goods.

“He is from a beautiful mare so he is very well bred and he meets the criteria that I set up for acquisitions, so I am very pleased to buy him.”

The colt’s year-older brother, named The Iliad and trained by Peter Moody for Waratah Thoroughbreds, won his first trial in November. Hades also has a filly foal by Redoute’s Choice and is once again in foal to him, as Newhaven Park pursues the cross that has produced Group 1 winner Musir and brilliant 2YO Beneteau.

Waterhouse and Harron also bought Beneteau’s close relative, the Redoute’s Choice-Line Honours filly consigned by Arrowfield, for $325,000.

Ten lots later, James Harron, acting for Edmund and Belinda Bateman, signed for Arrowfield’s Redoute’s Choice-Luna Bella filly at $500,000.

After three days of brisk buying and selling, Redoute’s Choice heads the sire averages with eight lots sold at an average price of $308,125. The overall sale average of almost $140,000, and median of $120,000 are both higher than 2013 and, most pleasingly, the clearance rate has increased from last year’s 81% to 88%.

Redoute’s Choice departs early next week for France where he will stand his second season at HH The Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval.