Champion sire Redoute’s Choice launched a fabulous four-timer for Arrowfield Stud sires at Caulfield’s signature Cup meeting on Saturday.
Redoute’s Choice colt Galah is the latest go-getter among Sheikh Mohammed’s team of three year-olds. Darley bred him from the G1 Australian Oaks winner Rinky Dink (Distorted Humor). The mare had cost $750,000 at the 2007 Magic Millions Winter broodmare sale.
Trainer Peter Snowden labelled Galah an Australian Derby horse after a last-to-first victory in the LR Australia Stakes over 1400m. ”This is just a big learning curve for him,” Snowden said. “He knuckled down in the last 200 metres and was very strong.”
Snowden’s immediate plan is the G3 Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day. He will then tackle the Sandown Guineas before spelling. “You’ve only got to look at him to see he’s a quality horse,” Snowden said. “I’m sure he will be a better horse over further in the autumn.”
Galah becomes the 79th stakes winner for Redoute’s Choice. He joins the likes of Musket and Drumbeats among other Darley stakes winners by the Arrowfield champion.
Arrowfield stalwart Flying Spur began stud life four years before Redoute’s Choice and he maintained a five-win black-type margin when Gliding won the Ethereal Stakes (2000m). Flying Spur’s 84th individual stakes winner is trained and owned outright by Bart Cummings.
Cummings will set Gliding on a familiar lead-up through the G2 Wakeful Stakes towards the G1 Victoria Oaks. “She finished off quite well,” Cummings said. “She will go the distance. Her pedigree indicates it as well.”
Cummings selected Gliding as a yearling out of the Orange Grove draft at last year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions. She is a half-sister to former G1 star Eremein (Timber Country) and cost him $280,000.
Charge Forward colt Sabrage staked his claim for the Victoria Derby after a strong victory in the G3 Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield.
Sabrage is the 11th stakes performer for Arrowfield’s brilliant Group 1 winning son of Red Ransom. Peter Moody’s unbeaten colt Beckon is another exciting prospect among the Charge Forward three year-olds. That crop also includes his NZ Karaka Million winner Fort Lincoln.
Trainer Mike Moroney believes Sabrage can win a third Victoria Derby for the stable following Second Coming and Monaco Consul.
“He’s a big action horse and Damien (Oliver) always said he felt like a stayer,” Moroney explained. “He won on ability alone at Caulfield in May so we tipped him straight out. He’s starting to really switch on now and he’s had the right preparation to go to the Derby.”
Sabrage was a $200,000 graduate of Arrowfield’s 2010 Inglis Easter yearling sale consignment. Charge Forward got him from the Moroney trained mare Galroof who was a G3 winner of a Doomben Classic. She was also beaten a short-neck second (with Oliver aboard) by County Tyrone in the G1 Queensland Derby.
Galroof has a 2yo filly by Hussonet with Moroney. She has a Charge Forward yearling colt and last month foaled a colt by Arrowfield’s new sire All American. The mare is once again booked to Charge Forward.
Sabrage is named for the ceremonial technique of opening bottles of champagne with a sabre.
Satin Shoes finished a champagne day’s racing for Flying Spur in the Carlton Draught Plate (1100m). The Clarry Connors trained filly had won her first three in Sydney capped by a G2 victory in the Silver Slipper.
She returned this season to win the LR Quizette Stakes at Caulfield and she was joined on the Melbourne circuit by Bliss Street. The Perth based daughter of Flying Spur was a G3 winner of the MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude o October 2.
Satin Shoes is bred on the same Danehill – Snippets cross as Arrowfield’s up-and-coming stallion Snitzel.
Snitzel sired a winning double at Randwick on Saturday with the Gerald Ryan trained flyers Amorino and Hot Snitzel.
Hot Snitzel was an appropriate winner of the LR Arrowfield Brian Crowley Stakes. He had won a G2 with runaway tactics in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes during the Brisbane winter carnival.