Redoute’s legacy on show at Randwick

The outcome to Saturday’s Group 1 ATC Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick provided a momentous tribute to the late Redoute’s Choice as two seven-figure sons of the great stallion fought out the finish.

Dual Group 3 winner Prague looked to have sealed victory as he quickened clear 300 metres from home but he was unable to withstand the finishing kick of King’s Legacy, who ran down the leader under Hugh Bowman for a half-length victory. Mamaragan, a second-crop son of Wandjina, was another length-and-a-quarter away in third.

In the process, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained King’s Legacy became the 38th Group 1 winner for former Aga Khan Stud shuttler Redoute’s Choice, a lynchpin stallion of John Messara’s Arrowfield Stud who died last March, and his second winner of the Sires’ Produce Stakes following Fashions Afield in 2005.

The race also acted a glowing advert for the 2019 renewal of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which accounted for the first three home. Not only that, King’s Legacy and Prague were two of the top three yearlings to sell at that sale, with King’s Legacy commanding A$1.4 million (£685,000) from agent James Harron and Prague selling for A$1.6 million (£780,000) to the partnership of Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Aquis Farms.

As significant as those outlays were, less than 18 months later and both colts are in possession of significantly greater valuations, not just as Group 1-performing two-year-olds, but as well-bred sons of Redoute’s Choice. The son of Danehill has left behind an array of successful stallion sons led by the Arrowfield pair of Snitzel and Not A Single Doubt, the sire of recent Golden Slipper Stakes hero Farnan, who looks to have added another high-class juvenile to his string in Saturday’s dominant Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes winner Doubtland.

King’s Legacy broke his maiden at the second time of asking in the Group 3 BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm before running fifth in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January. He never showed next time out in the Golden Slipper Stakes although judged on Saturday’s showing, had come on enormously for that experience.

Now the winner of two of five starts for A$651,500 in prize-money, King’s Legacy will now be prepared for a crack at the Group 1 Champagne Stakes. 

King’s Legacy was bred and sold by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia Pty Ltd, who will also offer his full sister at the upcoming Inglis Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 355.

They are out of Breakfast In Bed, a daughter of Hussonet who won seven races and was Listed-placed in the Nudgee Handicap, Just Now Handicap and Gai Waterhouse Classic.

This is an excellent family that goes back to Not A Single Doubt’s dam Singles Bar, a Listed-placed half-sister to triple Group 1 winner and champion sire Snippets.

Breakfast In Bed is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Oohood, who ran second in the 2018 Sires’ Produce Stakes to El Dorado Dreaming. Also second in that year’s Golden Slipper Stakes, she gained a deserved breakthrough the following season when successful in the Group 1 Flight Stakes at Randwick. 

In her dam Bella Sunday, there is an example of Arrowfield thinking outside the box when it comes to new blood. Foaled in 2000, the dual winner is a daughter of the legendary Japanese stallion Sunday Silence and therefore among the pool of Australian-bred foals bred by the enterprising partnership of Arrowfield and the Yoshida family’s Northern Farm around the turn of the century. Others include Group 1 winner Sunday Joy, who would go on to produce eight-time Group 1 winner More Joyous, and Listed winner Keep The Faith, subsequently a Group 1 sire.

Breakfast In Bed is also the dam of dual winner Do Not Disturb, by Fastnet Rock, and has a 2019 filly by I Am Invincible.

 

Also on Saturday…

Former Coolmore shuttler So You Think fired in his sixth Group 1 winner when Quick Thinker came out on top over Zebrowski in a tight finish to the Australian Derby at Randwick.

A fifth Australian Derby winner for New Zealand Hall of Fame trainer Murray Baker (who now trains in partnership with Andrew Forsman), Quick Thinker was winning for the second time in as many weeks following his success in last Saturday’s Group 2 Tulloch Stakes.

Quick Thinker was bought by De Burgh Equine for A$100,000 out of the Coolmore Australia draft at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

“Everyone is looking for a Slipper horse but we wanted one that would be a later type,’’ de Burgh told Inglis from Ireland. “You never think you’re going to buy a Derby winner but this is fantastic.

“This horse was more of a European-style of horse to look at. He was a very good walker, athletic, well balanced and by a quality stallion and now he’s a Derby winner.’’

So You Think won ten Group 1 races across both hemispheres during his illustrious racing career, including the Eclipse, Prince Of Wales’s and Irish Champion Stakes for Aidan O’Brien. Although the son of High Chaparral left behind only two stakes winners from his three seasons shuttling to Ireland, he has been a different proposition in his native Australasia, represented by other Group 1 winners Inference, D’Argento, Nakeeta Jane, Sopressa and La Bella Diosa.

He stood the past southern hemisphere season at Coolmore Australia for A$38,500.

 

First stakes winner for former Darley shuttler

Godolphin homebred Colette also became the first stakes winner for former Darley shuttler Hallowed Crown with an impressive victory in Saturday’s Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick.

Her win came just days after it was announced that Hallowed Crown would shift from Darley’s Australian roster to Twin Hills Stud for the 2020 season.

Group 1 Randwick Guineas winner Hallowed Crown spent one season at Kildangan Stud in Ireland in 2016. The son of Street Sense left behind 77 foals, among them ten winners led by the Listed-placed The Perfect Crown.

Colette boasts a pedigree familiar to European eyes being out of Libretto, a Singspiel half-sister to Group/Grade 2 winners Wareed and Truly A Dream and daughter of blue hen Truly Special. Other family members include Cerulean Sky, Honolulu, Moonstone and her son US Army Ranger.