Our ‘Closer Look’ statistical stories on various sires have been super popular with our audience and I’ve been putting off doing this one as I knew it would involve a lot of work, but I’m sure it’s a worthwhile effort as we’re delving into the record of a sire that has made the last 20 years his own.
A game changer for Arrowfield Stud, Redoute’s Choice has more accolades on his CV than I care to list, but suffice to say his 173 stakes-winners worldwide is more than any other Australian bred sire in history.
14 of those stakes-winners were conceived in the Northern Hemisphere from his two seasons of shuttling to France, but for the purposes of this story and the table below, we will look just at his Southern Hemisphere results.
Redoute’s Choice (1996 – 2019)
|
Crop Year (SH) |
Mares Covered / Service Fee |
Stakes-Winners/ Best Performers |
|
2001 |
134/ $30,000 |
8 SW’s / G1 Lotteria |
|
2002 |
170/ $30,000 |
17 SW’s / G1 Stratum, Fashions Afield, Snitzel, Undoubtedly, God’s Own |
|
2003 |
133/ $33,000 |
12 SW’s / G1 Miss Finland, Anamato, Cheeky Choice, Redoute’s Dancer, Empires Choice, Nadeem |
|
2004 |
114/ $33,000 |
3 SW’s / G2 El Daana |
|
2005 |
213/ $40,000 |
16 SW’s / G1 Samantha Miss, Gallica, Master of Design, Allez Wonder |
|
2006 |
196/ $220,000 |
15 SW’s / G1 Melito, Musir, Dariana |
|
2007 |
224/ $275,000 |
11 SW’s / G1 King’s Rose, Absolutely |
|
2008 |
169/ $330,000 |
8 SW’s / G1 Bonaria |
|
2009 |
146/ $330,000 |
21 SW’s / G1 Lankan Rupee, Wylie Hall, Royal Descent |
|
2010 |
170/ $198,000 |
3 SW’s / G2 Tango’s Daughter |
|
2011 |
146/ $176,000 |
9 SW’s / G1 Peeping, Majmu, Hampton Court |
|
2012 |
138/ $137,500 |
11 SW’s / G1 Galaxy Star, Howard the Man, Abbey Marie, Rafeef |
|
2013 |
114/ $137,500 |
13 SW’s/ G2 Hardham |
|
2014 |
111/ $137,500 |
4 SW’s / G1 Mustaaqeem |
|
2015 |
138/ $110,000 |
2 SW’s / G1 The Autumn Sun |
|
2016 |
128/ $110,000 |
4 SW’s / G1 Alabama Express, Loire |
|
2017 |
104/ $110,000 |
2 SW’s / G1 King’s Legacy |
|
2018 |
74/ $137,500 |
Yearlings (40 live foals) |
|
2019 |
45 / $137,500 |
Foals (24 live foals) |
For those who remember, Redoute’s Choice was highly regarded when he went to stud, but his retirement was in a time when high profile shuttle stallions were the ones commanding big fees, horses such as Giant’s Causeway (USA), Fusaichi Pegasus (USA), Peintre Celebre (USA), Galileo (IRE) and of course his own sire Danehill (USA).
A so called ‘colonial bred’ horse was seen as a lesser option and Arrowfield actually started both Flying Spur and Danzero off in Victoria to give them a better chance to get runs on the board so they could then return to the Hunter Valley, which both did with great success.
Redoute’s Choice did not have to go to Victoria, but he did spend his first five seasons standing for $40,000 or less.
His first crop showed promise, but his second smashed it so far out of the park that Redoute’s Choice earned instant comparisons to his illustrious sire Danehill and his service was raised by a gobsmacking 450% from $40,000 to $220,000.
That was in 2005 in the wake of his progeny dominating the juvenile season to win the Group I Golden Slipper (Stratum), Blue Diamond (Undoubtedly), Sires Produce Stakes (Fashions Afield) and the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (Bradbury’s Luck).
Breeders accepted the massive fee rise and it was all hunky dory with booming sale ring results and ongoing racetrack success leading many to believe it was always going to be onwards and upwards.
The GFC changed all that and when the repercussions finally caught up with the bloodstock industry, Redoute’s Choice began his downward trend in fee and in recent years he has been unbeatable value when you look at his record and returns in the sale ring.
Dwindling fertility in his last few season means small numbers in his last two crops, but it would be a brave man to suggest there won’t be at least one or two more Group I winners to come.
Click here for a Closer Look at Northern Meteor and Sebring.
Click here for a Closer Look at Written Tycoon and Not a Single Doubt
Click here for a Closer look at I Am Invincible.
Click here for a Closer Look at Fastnet Rock.
Click here for a Closer Look at Snitzel.
Click here for a Closer Look at Pierro.
Click here for a Closer Look at Exceed and Excel.
