Redoute's Choice leads the way

Demand was expected to be strong for the offspring of Redoute's Choice at

this year's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, and the Arrowfield stallion was able to

meet those expectations. Three of his offspring broke the seven-figure barrier

at Tuesday's opening session of the sale, including the day's topper, Lot No.

128, an A$2 million colt who was purchased by Victoria-based Rob McAnulty. The

bay, a half-brother to South African Group 1 winner Suntagonal, was bought on

behalf of a syndicate and will be trained by David Hayes at Lindsay Park. A

total of seven yearlings sold for A$1 million or more, including sons from the

first Australian crops of Elusive Quality and Rock of Gibraltar (Ire).

"It's been an amazing day's selling from the very kick-off and to sell seven

horses over A$1 million in one day is just sensational," said Managing Director

Reg Inglis. "We're very much looking forward to the next two days."

An active international bench including Shadwell and Darley's Angus Gold and

John Ferguson engaged in battle with a domestic bench that managed to adeptly

return fire in several forays to secure the most sought after youngsters.

Australia's leading freshman sire of 2004, Redoute's Choice has built on that

promising start with six individual Group 1 winners this year, including a trio

of two-year-olds in Miss Finland, heroine of the A$3 million Golden Slipper S.

(Aus-G1) and Nadeem, who captured the A$1 million Blue Diamond S. (Aus-G1).

Tuesday's session topper, a son of the Last Tycoon (Ire) mare Urge to Merge, was

offered by Arrowfield and bought by Rob McAnulty, who is now off to Phuket,

Thailand, after buying his top prospect.

"We are concentrating our business on buying colts with stallion pedigrees --

you can't buy them overseas; plus, Australian racing is so good that breeders

really want to race in this country, and a horse like him, with a pedigree to

die for, it is a stallions' pedigree," McAnulty enthused. "I love Last Tycoon

mares, but at the end of the day the horse has got to be an athlete, and we

judged him to be the best athlete on the ground. We had a budget of A$2 million

and would not have spent one cent over that. We did not have our first bid until

A$1.7 million and then we thought, 'Why die wondering?' and went to A$2

million."

McAnulty, who will race the colt as part of a syndicate, felt he was fairly

priced. "The horse is already syndicated and going to David Hayes to train,

which makes it a lot easier," he said. "He is not expensive; we are in a global

business, there are 10 of us in him all taking A$200,000 worth. I have never

enjoyed racing horses on my own; racing is far more fun with friends, and if you

have a fun trainer like Hayesey involved, it is never dull!"

Arrowfield also consigned the second-highest priced yearling on the day, Lot

51, for A$1.6 million. The Redoute's Choice colt out of Singles Bar (Rory's

Jester) went to trainer Len Freedman for a syndicate. The bay, a full brother to

stakes winner Not a Single Doubt, was produced by a half-sister to leading sire

Snippets.

"I think he's great value -- you have to expect to pay these sort of prices,

and with all the speed in the family he's got to be a very, very good

two-year-old for next season," Freedman said. "It's a cross that's already

worked and and his dam is a half-sister to a champion in Snippets, who was a

good sire himself."

Arrowfield's John Messara was understandably pleased with the day's results.

"This is roughly what was expected; they are top-notch colts by Redoute's

Choice, the strongest two female pedigrees in the sale by him, but we didn't

want to raise our expectations too high."

In 2005, Redoute's Choice had 35 yearlings sell at this sale for an average

of A$611,714 at the Inglis Easter sale.

Tuesday's highest-priced filly was Lot 81, an A$1.3 million representative

from the first Australian crop of champion Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). Consigned by

Coolmore Stud, she was purchased by New Zealand owner/breeder David Ellis.