by Bernard Kenny
Will Redoute’s Choice produce another The Autumn Sun at this year’s Easter Sale?
Although now looking down from heaven, the champion sire with all the superlatives, Redoute’s Choice, will again be a dominant force with 20 yearlings catalogued for the Australian Easter Yearling Sale at Riverside Stables on 9th–10th April.
In all, Arrowfield Stud will be offering 12 yearlings by Redoute’s Choice, headed by a stallion making prospect in Lot 286, a half-brother to NZ Horse of The Year and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Dundeel, whose grandam is the NZ Filly of The Year in Staring.
Segenhoe Stud’s Lot 409 is another stallion prospect, from the High Chaparral mare Comaneci, whose dam Circles of Gold is the family of Elvstroem, Haradasun, Highland Reel and Idaho, while Lot 366 from Arrowfield, is a half-brother to Tokyo NHK Mile Cup winner Aerolithe, the family of Mikki Isle.
Arrowfield Stud steps out with Lot 6, a colt first foal of Vinery Stud Stakes winner Fenway, from the family of middle-distance champion More Joyous, and on Day 2 with Lot 237 a colt first foal of dual NZ Gr2 winning Savabeel mare Saavoya.
Newgate Farm has Lot 255 on Day 2, a colt second foal of Oakleigh Plate winner Shamal Wind. Tyreel Steel has Lot 268, a half-brother to Champion 3yo Filly, Delicacy and Coolmore Stud a half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Miracles of Life in Lot 420.
Another Arrowfield yearling with definite stallion appeal is Lot 369, The Autumn Sun’s three quarter brother by Not a Single Doubt, from the unraced Galileo mare Azmiyna. As Leading Sire of Australian Winners World-Wide in 2015-16 Not a Single Doubt is from Redoute’s Choice’s first 2001 crop.
Redoute’s Choice has definitely made the Australian Easter Yearling Sale a top priority. Last year his 14 lots sold for $5.83m, at an average of $416,429 with his Stilla Regalis colt selling for $1.5m to James Herron Bloodstock, being from the family of Hong Kong champion Silent Witness.
The Autumn Sun was purchased for $700,000 by Hermitage Thoroughbreds/Chris Waller Racing in 2017. That year his 30 yearlings grossed $14.6m at an average of $486,667 with his Secluded colt selling for $2.5m to Tim Stakemire.
In 2016 his 20 yearlings grossed $11.46m at an average of $573,000, with his full-sister to champion sprinter Lankan Rupee topping $1.8m, while in 2015 his 25 lots grossed $19.16m for a $366,400 average and a top price of $1.4m for the half-sister to Horse of The Year Weekend Hussler.
Redoute’s Choice was owned and bred by Muzaffar Ali Yaseem, trained by Rick Hore-Lacy at Caulfield and retired as the Champion Australian 3YO Miler and Joint Champion Australian/New Zealand 3YO of 1999–2000 with $1.56 million in stakes.
As an early 3yo he won the weight-for-age Manikato Stakes of 1200m against older horses in just his third start, going on to win the ‘stallion-making’ Caulfield Guineas of 2000m and the weight-for-age CF Orr Stakes over 1400m. Also, as a 3yo he ran second in the Australian Stakes and third to arch rival Testa Rossa in the Futurity Stakes and Invitation Stakes. As a 2yo he won both starts including the Blue Diamond Stakes when defeating Testa Rossa but was scratched on the eve of Catbird’s Golden Slipper Stakes.
Retired to Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley in 2000, Redoute’s Choice was Champion First Season Sire (2003–04), Champion Sire of 2YO’s (2004–05, 2005–06) and went on to become Australian Champion Sire over multiple years (2005–06, 2009–10 and 2013–14) with earnings of over $157.2 million.
Now the sire of 79 million-dollar yearlings with a lifetime yearling sale average of $417,000, he has produced 163 stakes winners (81 colts, 82 fillies), 38 2yo stakes winners, 9 2yo Group 1 winners (6 colts, 3 fillies), and 17 million-dollar earners.
In siring 106 group winners (50 colts, 56 fillies), Redoute’s Choice has produced 329 stakes winners in Australia (261), New Zealand (25) and South Africa (20). A staggering 34 Group 1 winners (16 colts, 18 fillies) winning 54 Group 1 races in addition to 21 Classic winners of nine Guineas, seven Oaks and five Derbys.
In siring 10 champions in Australia and South Africa, Miss Finland was Champion 2YO and 3YO Filly earning over $4.6m, his gelded son Lankan Rupee was crowned Horse of The Year and Champion Sprinter with $4.1m, and heir apparent The Autumn Sun the winner of $3.4m. With 20 Redoute’s yearlings up for sale only time will tell who will be the next to join their ranks.
Now in heaven, will the angels be squeezing Redoute’s Choice’s tongue, as visitors did at Arrowfield Stud when back on Earth?