Redoute’s Choice colts are Derby-bound
At least four talented 3YO Redoute’s Choice colts are aiming to increase their champion sire’s tally of 10 Group 1 Classic winners this autumn.
The Mark Kavanagh-trained Sheer Talent followed up his VRC C.S. Hayes G3 success on 16 February with a courageous third to Ferlax & You’re So Good in last Saturday’s VRC Australian Guineas G1.
Pictured: Sheer Talent (black & white checked cap) wins the VRC C.S. Hayes S. G3 at Flemington last month. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
His next appearance is likely to be in the MVRC Alister Clark S. G2 on 15 March, followed by a start in the $1.5 million ATC Australian Derby G1 on 13 April – if Sydney’s weather improves, as Sheer Talent is not comfortable on rain-affected tracks. The $500,000 South Australian Derby G1 on 5 May is the fallback option for the Gerry Harvey-bred son of the Barathea mare St. Katherine.
Laser Flash is also from a mare by a son of Sadler’s Wells – in this case Personify by Galileo – and he too is heading for the Australian Derby after his front-running victory under 59kg over 1900 metres at Canterbury last week.
Third in the ATC Dulcify H. LR last spring, the Cressfield-bred Laser Flash may not match Sheer Talent’s turn of foot, but his trainer David Payne is confident he will relish the 2400 metres of the Derby.
Arrowfield’s colt Vadashan definitely did not relish the Heavy 8 track he encountered at Rosehill last Saturday, but took no harm from the race. His trainer Paul Messara will start him next over 1900 metres at Canterbury next Wednesday, and then the ATC Rosehill Guineas G1 on 30 March before the Australian Derby.
Vadashan, from the Aga Khan’s mare Vadsalina (by Sagacity), is raced in partnership with Saeed Naser Al Romaithi, Renata Coleman & the Sydney-based Young Professionals in Racing whose colours he carries.
Shadwell Stud’s colt Rawnaq hasn’t been seen since the Spring when he finished a terrific third in the VRC Victoria Derby G1 to Fiveandahalfstar and Super Cool. Both those horses have already returned to good form in Group company this Autumn and Rawnaq, from the Group 2-winning Zabeel mare Winning Belle, is capable of doing the same.
Trainer David Hayes has mapped out a three-race Autumn programme for Rawnaq culminating in the Australian Derby.
On the other side of the world, in Japan, yet another 3YO colt by Redoute’s Choice made an impressive debut in a 1600-metre Newcomer race at Hanshin last Saturday. His name is Fluky and he is from the Sunday Silence mare Sunday Smile, a grand-daughter of dual US Grade 1 winner Outstandingly.
Bred by Northern Farm, Fluky was conceived in Australia to northern time and foaled in Japan during the spring of 2010.
There was nothing flukey about his win, as he settled towards the rear and swept around his 15 rivals on the turn to score by 1.5 lengths – view the race here .
A stellar collection of 34 yearlings by Redoute’s Choice will be offered at next month’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Seven of them are from Group 1-winning mares, and six are from Group 1 producers, including the sensational mare Helsinge, already dam of Black Caviar & All Too Hard. View their pedigrees here .
