Redoute’s Choice colt wins the Canonbury Stakes
Prague (rails) has the measure of Global Quest (checked cap), Return With Honour (red cap) and Nitrous (green cap) in the Canonbury S. G3. (PHOTO: Sportpix)
Prague is renowned as one of the world’s most magical cities and its namesake turned in a magical performance to win Saturday’s $160,000 ATC Canonbury S. 1100m G3.
The strapping son of Redoute’s Choice stepped up several notches from his debut win at Canterbury a fortnight ago to defeat the favourite Global Quest by 1.8 lengths, with Return With Honour third.
The @cmaherracing –@eustacedj 2YOs are FLYING! 🛫
Prague wins the Canonbury @royalrandwick effortlessly, with @TomMarquand up and he was also @LizzieJelfs‘ Pick of the Yard! pic.twitter.com/pPM4GWXD9F
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 1, 2020
Prague’s second win from as many starts is also the 15th 2YO win this season for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, and completed a memorable stable double with Snitzel’s Widden S. G3 winner Away Game. Both horses are both quoted at $15 for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper G1 on 21 March.
Maher said after Prague’s win, “I just love his progression. He went to his first start and I thought he would improve in the coat and I’m rapt with him. He’s a pretty exciting horse.”
Prague is the 171st stakeswinner, the 40th 2YO stakeswinner and the 7th worldwide stakeswinner this season for his legendary Champion Sire, who died in March 2019. He is also Redoute’s Choice’s 5th winner of the Canonbury, after Not A Single Doubt (2004), Bradbury’s Luck (2005), Tickets (2009) and Pariah (2017).
The colt is a three-quarter brother to dual Group 1 winner Stratum Star (by Redoute’s Choice son Stratum) from the Pins mare Purely Spectacular, a sister to New Zealand stakeswinner Raid and a great-grand-daughter of champion mare Emancipation. Purely Spectacular is in foal to Snitzel.
Bred by Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock, Prague was purchased by Aquis Farm & Phoenix Thoroughbreds for $1.6 million from Bhima Thoroughbreds’ Magic Millions draft. He is the 16th million-dollar yearling by Redoute’s Choice to become a stakeswinner.
The 2020 Inglis Easter catalogue includes 10 yearlings by Redoute’s Choice, including 3 fillies and a colt in Arrowfield’s draft.
