Stakeswinner 181 for Redoute’s Choice
Visitors to Arrowfield are greeted by the magnificent Tanya Bartlett statue of Arrowfield's legendary & very much-missed sire Redoute’s Choice. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
It’s taken Arrowfield graduate Petronius a while to join the list of stakeswinners by his late, great sire Redoute’s Choice, but he’s finally done it, in Saturday’s $160,000 BRC Lightning H. 1000m LR at Eagle Farm.
And he did it in style, defeating the better-backed Athelric & Deepour and breaking 34 seconds for his final 600 metres.
Petronius was put in a perfect position in the run and salutes accordingly. pic.twitter.com/TqWT0qJNn5
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 3, 2023
Bred by Arrowfield in partnership with Matt & Jo Cloros, Petronius is the best of six winners and four stakes performers so far left by the American Grade 2 winner Cat By The Tale (by Tale of the Cat).
The mare has visited The Autumn Sun three times, producing unraced 2YO filly Ella’s World (a $550,000 Easter buy for Suman Hedge & now with Anthony & Sam Freedman), a colt (purchased for $200,000 by Legend Racing at this year’s Inglis Easter Sale) and a weanling filly.
In partnership with Roger & Jo Blunt, Arrowfield is also breeding from Petronius’ half-sister I Am Queen (by Animal Kingdom). Her first two foals, a colt by The Autumn Sun (named Autumn Emperor and in the Tony Gollan stable) and a filly by Dundeel, have each sold for $260,000.
Originally a $1 million Magic Millions yearling, Petronius was prepared by Gary Moore to win four races in Sydney before his Inglis Digital online sale to Livistona Grazing. The move north to Eagle Farm trainer Barry Lockwood has obviously agreed with the now 6YO gelding; he has won three of his first 4 starts for his new owner.
A total of 18 new stakeswinners have extended Redoute’s Choice’s imposing record since his death in March 2019, giving him exceptional statistics of 9.4% SW/Named Foals and 11.6% SW/Runners.
As the curtain finally begins to fall on his illustrious stallion career, the great son of Danehill continues to build his legacy as the sire of 40 stakes-siring sons (15 also Group 1 sires) and broodmare sire of 144 stakeswinners (including 26 Group 1 winners).
In that latter role, Redoute’s Choice is in a titanic battle with old rival Encosta de Lago for this season’s Australian Broodmare Sires’ title. Redoute’s Choice has just cracked $29 million earnings for the second time and the pair are currently separated by less than $166,000.
