The Magic continues for Redoute's Choice

A new Classic prospect in France and a senior sprint star in Australia have added the latest flourishes to the remarkable record of champion sire Redoute’s Choice.

On Saturday star Western Australian sprinter Rock Magic  became the first horse in 25 years to win consecutive runnings of the $150,000 Roma Cup 1200m  G3. Rock Magic’s stablemates Battle Hero and Durendal completed the trifecta. 

The race is extra-special for trainer Chris Gangemi and his brother Michael because their grandfather Michele helped to introduce the Roma Cup in 1966. 

Chris said, “The trifecta’s an unbelievable result. To get the job done I’m sure nonno, dad and the whole family would be proud.”

“Rocky looks like he’s getting better as he’s getting older which is ridiculous.”

Rock Magic and Battle Hero will meet again on 2 June in the Belmont Sprint G3 – also won by Rock Magic in 2017.

Bred by Arrowfield’s partnership with John Leaver, Rock Magic began his career with Paul Messara who prepared him to win four races before his sale as a late 4YO to the Gangemi stable. Now rising nine, he has rewarded his large group of Perth owners with 10 wins, eight of them Group or Listed Races.

He’s also won enough prizemoney to join the elite group of 15 million-dollar earners by Redoute’s Choice, a group headed by 2006 Champion 2YO Miss Finland & 2014 Horse of the Year Lankan Rupee. 

Rock Magic is one of only three living foals out of Group 1 winner Rockabubble (by Bubble Gum Fellow) who continues to live in happy retirement at Arrowfield. 

On Friday Redoute’s Choice’s French-bred daughter Lady Athena, a debut 2YO winner last season, showed a lovely turn of foot to score over 2100m at Chantilly, inspiring a tweeted comment from her trainer Yan Durepaire, “The French Oaks has always been on our mind, hopefully that will be next run!”

The French Oaks (Prix de Diane) is held at Chantilly on 17 June. 

Although she was foaled in France by the stakes-winning Monsun mare Monblue, Lady Athena has connections with Australia beyond Redoute’s Choice. She is a home-bred for John Hutchins of the Queensland farm Element Hill, also responsible for 2010 Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy. 

Monblue was a €400,000 purchase from the 2013 Arqana Breeding Stock Sale by Damon Gabbedy’s Belmont Bloodstock for Element Hill. She  delivered a colt by Soldier Hollow in 2014 and then visited Redoute’s Choice  during his second and final season at Haras de Bonneval. 

Another exciting Redoute’s Choice 3YO in Europe is the John Gosden-trained colt Sevenna Star, winner of the Sandown Classic Trial G3 on 27 April and heading to the King Edward S. G2 at next month’s Royal Ascot meeting.  

So far in 2017/18, Redoute’s Choice has compiled 12 winners of 13 stakes races in Australia & Europe, with Time’s Arrow (France), Sevenna Star, Glenall (New South Wales) and Rock Magic all successful within the past month. 

The three-time Champion Sire ended the weekend with a pedigree update from Japan, where Silk Racing’s outstanding filly Almond Eye raced away with the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) G1 in near-record time. Like Redoute’s Choice, Almond Eye (by Lord Kanaloa) is descended from 1982 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Best In Show.