Lot 273 – More Than Ready colt. Half brother to Gr1 Admiration
Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud was the leading buyer at the recent Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Shadwell Stud purchased 23 yearlings – 11 of which will be joining the yard of champion trainer, Mike de Kock.
These yearlings have superb pedigrees, and are by some of the best stallions and racehorses currently at stud in the world. Lot 18 is a dau-ghter of champion racehorse and sire Lonhro, who is currently shuttling to the US. A beautifully bred filly, she is out of Assertive Lass, a sister to two G1 winners (including the dam of Zabeel’s unbeaten G1 winner Reset).
The bay cost $200,000 – which looks a great buy given her pedigree. Lot 88 is a brown daughter of leading sire More Than Ready, sire of the 2013 Kentucky Derby favourite Verrazano.
This filly, who cost a whopping $600,000, is out of Element of Danger –a full sister to the ill-fated Australian Horse of the Year, Typhoon Tracey. Second dam is former SA sprint champion Tracey’s Element.
Lot 108 is a brown son of the lightning fast Northern Meteor, one of Australia’s leading first crop sires. The colt, who cost $210,000, is out of Fondle, a winning daughter of champion NZ sire O’Reilly (Last Tycoon). The colt is a half-brother to 3 winners, including the stakes winner Combat Kitty.
Lot 211 is a Lonhro colt, who was knocked down for $90,000. He is out of Miss Portofino, a winning Flying Spur half-sister to G2 winner Kattima. Lot 264 is a brown filly by the exciting young sire Sebring, a Golden Slipper winning son of More Than Ready.
The filly, who cost $200,000, is out of Porto Cervo – a Danzero sister to a stakes winner, from the family of Singapore star Recast (Thunder Gulch). Lot 273 is a brown son of More Than Ready, sire of former L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner and now sire, Gimmethegreenlight.
This colt, who is out of Provence, cost $700 000 – or the equivalent of R6 580 000. His dam is a stakes winning daughter of Redoute’s Choice. The colt is a half-brother to Hong Kong G2 winner Admiration (Encosta de Lago).
Lot 279 is a bay son of champion sire Redoute’s Choice. Knocked down for $560,000, he is out of Quiet Maggy – a half-sister to US champion Afleet Alex, winner of both the Gr1 Preakness Stakes and Gr1 Belmont Stakes. Lot 284 is a son of champion New Zealand sire O’Reilly, who cost $140,000.
His dam Rationable, by champion sprinter Housebuster, has already produced 3 stakes winners, and this is the family of G2 winning SA based stayer, Wise Son. Lot 294 is a filly bred to be precocious. By G1 winning sprinter Charge Forward (whose dam is the SA G1 winner Sydney’s Dream), she cost $240,000. She is a half-sister to G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reaan.
Her dam, Ribe, won the Gr2 Moonee Valley Oaks, and is by the legendary Danehill. Lot 343 is a filly by Redoute’s Choice, whose daughters include G1 winners Samantha Miss and Miss Finland. Knocked down for $300,000, the grey is out of the Chilean mare Spontaneous.
The latter, by champion sire Hussonet, was a G1 winner in Chile. The yearlings above represent some of the finest bloodlines in the world – and it will be fascinating to follow their progress.
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Redoute’s Remarkable Record
Redoute’s Choice
The great Australian stallion Redoute’s Choice has made his mark in more ways than one. Not only is the son of Danehill the sire of over 100 stakes winners, Redoute’s Choice is also making a name for himself as a sire of sires. His successful sire sons include Not A Single Doubt, sire of this season’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner, Miracles of Life.
His influence has also been felt on the South African turf through the likes of champion Musir, G2 winner Bishop’s Rock and recent Derby Trial winner Wylie Hall. Redoute’s son, Nadeem, is the sire of this season’s Gr2 Charity Mile winner Mujaarib. However, it is his success in the sales ring, which has placed Redoute’s Choice so firmly in the spotlight.
He is the sire of the most expensive yearling ever sold in Australia – his son out of Helsinge fetched $5 000 000 at the recent Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to set a new record. To date, Redoute’s Choice has had no fewer than 63 yearlings sell for $1 000 000 plus.
This is a stunning record, up there with the very most successful of commercial stallions. Not only was Redoute’s Choice the leading sire by average at the Easter Sale, but the horse has now topped the sires list by average at the sale for the past nine years. It is hard to remember too many other stallions who achieved such dominance at one prestigious sale.
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Slew Impact On First Crop Sires
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was a once in a life time horse. One of just 11 horses to win the US Triple Crown, Slew was as great a sire as he was a racehorse. However, the Seattle Slew impact has been felt almost solely in North America to date.
Sons of Seattle Slew have proved very disappointing at stud in South Africa, and they have had a singular lack of impact on the general sires list. However, judging by some of South Africa’s promising young sires, Slew’s influence could well become more widely felt in local racing.
Seattle Slew is the great grandsire of Jay Peg, broodmare sire of Sail From Seattle and grandsire of Judpot. All three young sires have made promising starts to their stud careers, with their first crops two this year. Sail From Seattle (Gone West) is currently leading the South Africa’s first crop sire list. At the time of writing, the stallion had had three winners, including recent stakes winner Seattle Storm.
His offspring finished 1-3-4 in the East Cape Nursery, and they also include the promising Tommy Gun, and several other promising sorts. While Judpot (A P Indy) has not yet had a stakes winner, he has been represented by four winners. Remarkably all four of Judpot’s winners to date have won at the first time of asking.
A P Indy’s grandson, Jay Peg, was never really expected to shape as a sire of early 2yos. However, the former Equus Champion became the first of the new sires represented by a Graded Stakes winner, when Olympic Owen won the Gr3 Protea Stakes. While it is early days yet, and far too early to tell with any of the younger sires, the three young sires mentioned above have all made a promising start.
