Drums beat for Redoute’s Choice
Champion sire Redoute’s Choice notched up his first stakeswinner for the season when 5YO entire Drumbeats (ex Delicate Choice by Rory’s Jester) raced away with the AJC Bill Ritchie H. 1400m G3 last Saturday, 25 September.
Drumbeats was bred by Mark & Cherilyn Lowe Bloodstock, Queensland and sold from the Vinery Stud draft for $350,000 at the 2007 Australian Easter Yearling Sale. The purchaser was Woodlands Stud, and Drumbeats is now raced by Sheikh Mohammed.
Trainer Peter Snowden considered an Epsom Handicap start for Drumbeats, who was promoted to favouritism for that race, but has elected instead to target the MRC Toorak H. G1 at Caulfield on 9 October.
Drumbeats has compiled a race record of considerable quality, despite winning only three races. His three wins have all been at Group or Listed Stakes level (the VRC Hilton S. LR at 3; STC Shannon S. G2 at 4; and the AJC Ritchie H. G3 at 5), as have eleven of his 15 starts. He has lined up twice in Group 1 races, finishing 5th in Rock Kingdom’s 2009 Epsom Handicap, and 4th in Rangirangdoo’s AJC Doncaster Handicap in April this year.
Drumbeats’ win wasn’t the only striking performance from the tribe of Redoute’s Choice over the weekend. 7YO gelding Empires Choice (ex Rosie’s Star by Star Way) showed the form that won him the Queensland Derby G1 as a 3YO with a slashing run into third place behind More Joyous and Trusting in the AJC George Main S. 1600m G1. Retired twice with major leg injuries, Empires Choice is now heading to Melbourne for the MRC Yalumba S. G1 on 9 October ahead of a tilt at the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, for which his odds are now in double, rather than triple figures. His chances of getting the 3200 metres of the Melbourne Cup are aided by his trainer, Cups legend Bart Cummings, and his grand-dam, 1988 Melbourne Cup winner Empire Rose.
Drumbeats, Empires Choice and other stakes performers Altius, Dr Doute’s and Sister Madly are among the horses that have taken Redoute’s Choice’s earnings for the new season to $1,008,996.
