Already a stakeswinner, Alabama Express sprints clear of his rivals at Flemington on 18 January. (PHOTO: Darryl Sherer)

Redoute’s Choice’s late-career stars shine brightly

Sometimes champion stallions end their stud careers with a whimper, and sometimes they end them with a bang, or at least a series of stars as bright as any from their earlier crops.  

It’s already clear that Redoute’s Choice, who died last March, is in the second category, leaving his best colt The Autumn Sun in his 15th crop, and his latest Group 1 Classic winner Loire in his 16th.

And the multiple Champion Sire’s exceptional record is still far from complete if 2YO Group winner King’s Legacy and last week’s debut Sydney winner Prague, both from his 17th crop,  are anything to by. 

Now a stunning 3YO colt, very reminiscent of Redoute’s Choice, has auditioned for the role of his next Group 1 winner. 

His name is Alabama Express and he opened his summer campaign with a dynamic victory over 1100m at Flemington last Saturday, powering over the final 600 metres in 33.22 to score by two lengths.  

“But there’s a bit of quality in this bloke!”
Alabama Express used his elite turn of foot to tear away down the straight! 🔥@BallymoreStabls @mickdee020 pic.twitter.com/ArcT6sEp06

— Racing.com (@Racing) January 18, 2020

Bred by GSA Bloodstock from Lago Ovation (by Encosta de Lago), Alabama Express was a $280,000 purchase by Paul Moroney from Arrowfield’s 2018 Inglis Easter draft.

Arrowfield joined Ballymore Stables, Rupert & Cheryl Legh, B & C Thoroughbreds, Lou Petagna & David Morison in the ownership of the  colt who won the MRC Gothic S. LR at his third start last October.  

Trainer Michael Moroney is not hesitant to aim high with Alabama Express who will head to the Group 1 weight-for-age race won by Redoute’s Choice at his penultimate start 20 years ago.

“The CF Orr Stakes is a race three-year-olds can win. So that’s what we would like to do. Chase a Group 1, he has real stallion potential, a gorgeous horse by the right stallion and he is starting to get the right record.”

Sire sons, of course, are another Redoute’s Choice specialty and right on cue, his Arrowfield-bred son Master Of Design sired his first stakeswinner, and first Group 1 winner last Saturday. That’s The Mitigator, winner of the WRC Thorndon Mile G1 at Trentham, New Zealand. 

Master Of Design is the 27th stakes-siring son of Redoute’s Choice, and takes his tally of Group 1-siring sons to eleven.  

The second-last crop of Redoute’s Choice yearlings are selling this year and he’s already posted a 7-figure sale: the $1.1 million GSA Bloodstock-bred colt out of Gresset sold by Bhima Thoroughbreds to Zhiqiang An at Magic Millions Gold Coast.