First French stakes performer for Redoute's Choice

First French stakes performer for Redoute's Choice

First French stakes performer for Redoute's Choice

Redoute’s Choice posted his first stakes performer in France on Thursday when the Wertheimers’ home-bred filly Gold Luck was second in the Prix Isonomy LR at Deauville.

A debut winner at Maisons-Laffitte last month, Gold Luck’s effort to pick up from the rear of a strong field and finish within two lengths of the promising colt Al Wukair was full of merit. Sheikh Hamdan’s filly Hebah, the eight-length winner of her previous start, was three-quarters of a length away in third place.  

The result was a distant echo of the 2011 Prix de la Foret where Al Wukair’s sire Dream Ahead beat Gold Luck’s champion half-sister Goldikova.

It has been a good week in Europe for Redoute’s Choice, also represented by the colt Pivoine, a winner at Kempton on Wednesday at his second start. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute for owner-breeder Ballymacoll Stud, Pivoine is the first foal of Fleur de Cactus (by Montjeu) from a wonderful family the Stud has nurtured for almost 80 years. Pivoine’s fourth dam is the outstanding broodmare Hellenic, dam of Group 1 winners Islington, Mountain High & Greek Dance and grand-dam of Champion Australian Stayer Fiorente.

In the Ballymacoll tradition, Pivoine has been thoughtfully named in honour of the famous French botanical artist Pierre-Joesph Redoute: “pivoine” is the French word for “peony”.

Pivoine is the 7th European winner in the past month for Redoute’s Choice, following Celestial Spheres (Goodwood, 21 September), Gold Luck (Maisons-Laffitte, 26 September), Wajnah & Spotify (Bordeaux-Le Bouscat, 27 September), Astronomy’s Choice (Newmarket, 7 October) & Normandie (Maisons-Laffitte, 14 October). In all he has now compiled eleven 2YO winners from the first of his two European crops.

Earlier in the week, a filly from the champion sire’s second French crop sold for €150,000 at the Arqana October Yearling Sale. A daughter of Border Bloom (by Selkirk), she was consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux and bought by Blandford Bloodstock and new Chinese investor Zhiqiang An whose horses race under the name Golden East Horse.