€775,000 for Redoute’s Choice filly at Arqana

Soon after Howard Be Thy Name became the 30th Group 1 winner for Redoute’s Choice, a 2YO Irish-bred daughter of the champion sire very nearly topped Saturday’s Arqana Breeze Up Sale in France.

The filly, out of Listed winner Sunday Nectar (by Footstepsinthesand), was a pin-hooking triumph for UK-based Oaks Farm Stables, which sold her for €775,000. That’s more than ten times her weanling price in the same ring last October, and a record price for a 2YO by Redoute’s Choice.

She was bought for Tengku Abdal Rahman by agent Stephen Hillen who said, “She’s by a champion sire out of a stakes winning mare and she did, from what I could see, the fastest breeze.”

View the filly’s pedigree & breeze up video.

Hillen had earlier been the under-bidder on the sale-topping Frankel filly, knocked down for €800,000 to Mandore Agency on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing.

Redoute’s Choice was based for the 2013 and 2014 Northern Hemisphere seasons at HH The Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval in France. 

His first 2YO runner is yet to appear, but in the meantime, his first season sire son Elzaam has made a big impression with a trio of winners, King Electric, Clem Fandango and Berkshire Boy, from his first seven runners. 

Elzaam (out of Mambo In Freeport by Kingmambo), and bred to northern time in Australia by Kia Ora Stud, won at Listed level for his owner Sheikh Hamdan, but his best performances were at Royal Ascot. He was a thrilling second in the Coventry S. G2 at two, and was the first 3YO home when fourth in Society Rock’s Golden Jubilee S. G1. An injury ended his 4YO campaign before it began and he retired to Joe Foley’s Ballyhane Stud in 2012.

Mambo In Freeport has subsequently produced Rajamani and Ravi, full sisters to Elzaam and both city winners. Sadly, Rajamani has died, but 3YO filly Ravi remains in training with Peter & Paul Snowden for Kia Ora and is down to run at Randwick on Wednesday.