300th stakes win for Redoute's Choice
Hong Kong’s Champion Griffin of 2014/15 has taken a little while to fulfil his undoubted promise, but on Sunday evening Thewizardoz turned promise into dazzling reality.
His victory in the 1400-metre HKJC Premier Cup G3 was notable on three counts: his 3.5 length winning margin, his winning time of 1:20.86 and the 6 kg he conceded to runner-up and hot favourite Winner’s Way.
Watch Thewizardofoz win the HKJC Premier Cup G3.
The 5YO gelding brought up a couple of important milestones for two legends of global racing. It was the 92nd win this season, an all-time Hong Kong record, for champion trainer John Size, and the 300th stakes win on the astonishing record of champion sire Redoute’s Choice.
Bred by Tony Bott’s Evergreen Stud, Thewizardofoz is the second foal of four-time Group 1 winner Princess Coup, by Encosta de Lago whose daughters have produced eight stakeswinners from 50 foals by Redoute’s Choice, including Group 1 winners Peeping & Musir.
Redoute’s Choice now has 148 lifetime stakeswinners, with 17 of them successful in 21 stakes races this season – very close to his standard season performance since 2003/04.