A sister to his 2011 Group 1 Australian Oaks heroine Absolutely, the Mick Kent-trained Abbey Marie kept her record at a perfect three for three in Saturday's $400,000 Group 1Schweppes Oaks (Australasian Oaks) (2000m) at Morphettville.
She went one better than her sister Absolutely who was trained by Kent for Gilgai Farm's Rick Jamieson to finish second to Lights Of Heaven in the same race in 2011 before travelling to Sydney to defeat Shamrocker in the ATC Australian Oaks at Randwick.
Ridden by Luke Nolen, Abbey Marie showed an impressive turn of foot to run down the game Silent Sedition (War Chant) by a long-neck with local hope C'est Beau La Vie (Bernardini) three-quarters of a length back in third. (photo Daryl Sherer).
Previously a winner at Sandown and Caulfied, the daughter of Redoute's Choice has earned $315,870 from her three starts.
"She'd had a good grounding going into it, even though it was only her third start," Kent said.
"She'd had a couple of preps but needed some time off after a little throat operation. I wasn't worried about the distance it was just if she was savvy enough.
"She's straight to the paddock and we will bring her back for the spring, the Myer Classic will be the race for her.
"She's a bit more brilliant than Absolutely, genetically they are set run these trips and no amount of training can change that."
Bred by Teeley Assets, Abbey Marie (pictured as a yearling) was a $300,000 purchase by Dermot Farrington Bloodstock out of the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2014 Inglis Easter Australian Yearling sale,
She is the seventh foal of the 4-time winner Catshaan (Catrail) a half-sister to the champion Australian bred sprinter Kinshasa No Kiseki (Fuji Kiseki) a dual Group 1 winner honoured as the Champion Sprinter/Miler in Japan in 2010.
Catshaan was purchased by Rosemont Stud for $160,000 at the Teeley Assets Dispersal at the 2014 Magic Millions National Broodmare sale when carrying a Manhattan Rain colt.
That colt was sold to Gai Waterhouse Racing / J Blaxland for $150,000 at this year's Easter Yearling sale.
Catshaan has a Redoute's Choice colt foal and was bred back to Zoustar last spring.
Abbey Marie becomes the 131st stakes winner and the 29th Group 1 winner for the breed-shaping Redoute's Choice who will stand his 17th season at Arrowfield Stud this spring at a fee of $110,000.
