Redoute’s Choice flyer California Choice has been beating his rivals by a bull’s roar in Hong Kong but connections aren’t planning too far ahead with the colt.

California Choice has a breathing ailment and trainer Tony Cruz is doing his best to manage the problem.  Cruz will continue to race the Redoute’s Choice colt over 1000 metres despite a belief he would be better suited up to 1600m.

“To look at his pedigree, he’s not a sprinter, and the way he is built I think he is more of a miler,” Cruz said.  “We will stay on the straight course and see how far that takes him.”

California Choice (3c Redoute’s Choice – Storminwinter by Seattle Slew) won his first two in the space of a fortnight by a combined margin of six lengths.  He is a homebred for Dr Howard Liang and, along with stablemate Redoute Star, is building the Redoute’s Choice brand in Hong Kong.

California Choice looked extra smart second-up on Sunday.  He missed the kick again but gathered up the field with panache and careered away to win hard-held by over three lengths.

Jockey Matthew Chadwick believes California Choice’s habit of jumping away slowly is helping him to settle.  “He can pull very hard in the mornings and it is important not to rev him up too early in a race,” Chadwick told SCMP.  “His breathing hasn’t seemed to bother him yet, because both times he has been able to get clear running and roll along behind a strong tempo.”

California Choice is a three-quarter brother to Group 2 winner California Dane (Danehill).  The Cruz trained Redoute Star is from a half-sister to Zabeel and he has won three from six in Hong Kong this season.

Hong Kong is also home to the Redoute’s Choice geldings Packing OK (ex Abbadena by Runyon) and Global Win (ex Hit and Giggle by Marauding).

Global Win is a 9yo and is one of five members of his sire’s first crop still racing.  The others are Hobson’s Choice, Private Certifier and Zafran in Australia and Time and Moment in New Zealand.