Rose makes 19 G1 winners for Redoute’s Choice

3YO filly King’s Rose has become the 19th Group 1 winner by Arrowfield’s champion sire Redoute’s Choice with a stylish victory in today’s dramatic $NZ300,000 CJC NZ One Thousand Guineas 1600m G1 at Riccarton Park, Christchurch.

Race favourite We Can Say it Now (by Arrowfield’s exciting young sire Starcraft ) was knocked into the rail twice in the home straight, and she did well to recover her balance and cross the line in fifth place.

Meanwhile, King’s Rose came down the centre of the track after racing three wide for much of the journey, and unleashed a powerful finish to take out the second 3YO classic of the New Zealand season by three-quarters of a length in 1.35.57. After an inquiry which considered three protests, Twilight Savings, third in last Saturday’s CJC NZ Two Thousand Guineas G1, ended up in second place, with Smoulder third and the luckless We Can Say it Now in fourth position, ahead of the relegated Magic Briar.

Trained by Jason Bridgman for the filly’s Hong Kong-based owner-breeder Dr Gene Tsoi, King’s Rose appeared four times at two, for a debut win in the spring, followed by two fifths and a seventh placing in Group 1 and 2 races won by Banchee and Nacho Man. She has blossomed quickly at three, and opened her season with a second before winning the Ashburton JC John Grigg S. LR on 17 October. Her success in Group 1 company at only her 7th start has taken her prizemoney to $NZ192,460.

King’s Rose was ridden by Opie Bosson who rode Katie Lee to victory in last year’s 1000 and 2000 Guineas, and chose to ride the Redoute’s Choice filly this year after being aboard at her previous start.

As reported by Jeff Dore on Thoroughbred News, Bosson said, “She gave me a nice feel that day, she was just a little bit green still and I always knew she was going to improve. I’ve ridden her in track work up north when she was two and she’s just getting better and better.” Plans for the filly now centre on the 2400-metre New Zealand Oaks G1, to be held at Trentham on March 2011.

King’s Rose is one of five stakeswinners this season by Redoute’s Choice, alongside fellow 3YOs Rekindled Interest (MVRC AAMI Vase G2), Kittens and Milestone, and 5YO Drumbeats (AJC Bill Ritchie H. G3). Redoute’s Choice currently leads the Australian 3YO Sires’ list by prizemoney ($1.1 million) and winners (22), and is now second on the equivalent New Zealand list with 5 3YO winners and earnings of $224,525.

Of Redoute’s Choice’s 19 Group One winners, 14 have won at that level as 3YOs.

King’s Rose is from the Australian-foaled Nureyev mare Nureyev’s Girl, a stakes-placed, winning half-sister to SW Roanoke, from the good European family of G2 Wixim and G3 Soneva.