Fifth century of winners for Redoute’s Choice

Champion sire Redoute’s Choice broke through the 100-winner barrier for the fifth time when Stellar Vinia coasted home at Balaklava on Wednesday. Stellar Vinia (3f Redoute’s Choice-Calvinia by Varick) scored by four lengths in a maiden event over 1400 metres. The filly is trained by Tony McEvoy for her well-known owner-breeders John & Deb Camilleri of Fairway Thoroughbreds. Pictured: Haut Ton took Redoute’s Choice’s number of winners this season to 101.* (PHOTO: Sportpix) Redoute’s Choice went on to increase his winner count to 101 when Sheikh Mohammed’s lovely filly Haut Ton claimed her second career win, and her first of 2011/12, in the lucky last at Newcastle. Sandwiched between those results was Privately who won his third race this season at Sandown. The Peter Moody-trained entire won on debut at Ballarat in April 2011 and returned earlier this season to compete a provincial hat-trick at Echuca and Bendigo. “He was a bit backward as a young horse so the owners had to be patient,” Moody said. “He’s got the potential to win a nice race but I think he’s got to go through his grades first.” Bred by the late Phillip Esplin, Privately is the first foal of the Gai Waterhouse-trained filly Secret Land, a Listed winner of the AJC Widden Stakes at Randwick and Illawarra Classic at Kembla Grange. Redoute’s Choice broke through for his first century of winners (101) in 2006/07 with five crops of racing age. The EI outbreak trimmed his tally to 73 the following season, but he hasn’t looked back since then with 121 (2008/09), 138 (2009/10) and 123 (2010/11). Redoute’s Choice has headed the Easter Sale sires’ averages every year since 2005 and has an outstanding draft of 43 yearlings catalogued for this year’s including a sister to Stellar Vinia and, in the Arrowfield draft , three colts and three fillies.