Mulcaster wins race to claim final Redoute’s yearling

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Mulcaster signed for Arrowfield Stud’s unique offering at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale where the Redoute’s Choice colt was the first through the ring as Lot 1401 and was knocked down for $210,000.

Also sharing in the story was auctioneer David Chester, who sold the first Redoute’s Choice yearling in 2003 for $50,000. Offered by Newhaven Park, he was named Private Certifier and won seven races.

Arrowfield’s breed-shaper, Redoute’s Choice, passed away at the age of 22 in early 2019 with the multiple Group 1 winner to become the most influential stallion of the century. To date, he has sired 178 stakes winners, 39 individual Group 1 winners with progeny earnings exceeding $178 million.

His most prolific elite-level winners have been Miss Finland, Lankan Rupee and The Autumn Sun, who each claimed five Group 1 titles.

“It’s the end of an era really and Redoute’s Choice has been a great servant of the stud and we were privileged to have had him all those years, what a magnificent horse,” Arrowfield Bloodstock Manager, Jon Freyer, said.

“He was a stallion with personality and just a great horse to have had around. It is sad that there will be no more of his progeny.”

Redoute’s Choice was crowned Australia's Champion Sire on three occasions, in 2006, 2010 and 2014, was Champion First Season Sire in 2004, and Champion 2-Year-Old Sire in 2005 and 2006.

Bred and raced by Muzaffar Yaseen and trained by Rick Hore-Lacy, Redoute's Choice won five of his 10 starts and over $1.5 million in prizemoney, including Group 1 victories in the Blue Diamond S., the Manikato S., the G1 Caulfield Guineas and the CF Orr S.

Retired at the end of his 3-year-old year, he stood at Arrowfield in 2000, serving 134 mares at a fee of $30,000 (inc GST) with the son of Danehill’s (USA) fee to subsequently hit a high of $330,000 (inc GST).

Redoute's Choice also stood at the Aga Khan Studs' Haras de Bonneval in 2013 and 2014, producing five Northern Hemisphere-bred stakes winners from those two crops.

His sons have also made serious impressions at stud, notably Arrowfield’s Snitzel and the now retired Not A Single Doubt.

Hot future prospects

Among the younger brigade representing Redoute’s Choice, multiple Group 1 winner The Autumn Son is in the early stages of his career and King’s Legacy, successful twice at the top level, will stand his first season at Coolmore in 2021.

Freyer said the team associated with the Champion stallion’s last colt to be offered at public auction were thrilled he had been purchased by Mulcaster.

“We’re delighted that he’s gone to such a great home and his second and third dams were both Champions. We look forward to him hopefully developing into a Guineas or Derby colt in 18 months’ time.”

Mulcaster had inspected the youngster at Arrowfield and purchased him for an undisclosed buyer with the youngster to be trained by Chris Waller.

“He’s a big, strong colt and I’d seen him on the farm and we’ve had some luck with horses like The Autumn Sun. We thought he would cost that sort of money, he’s good value,” said Mulcaster, who signed for the colt with Chris Waller Racing.

The yearling, who had failed to make his $300,000 reserve when offered at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, is out of the winning Neo Universe (Jpn) mare La Fouine Tail (Jpn).

She is a daughter of the multiple stakes winner and G1 Japan Cup runner-up Fabulous La Fouine (Fr) (Fabulous Dancer {USA}), who produced the G2 Hanshin Daishoten winner Gustave Cry (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}).

The third dam, Mercalle (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}), won the G1 Longchamp Prix du Cadran and is the dam of the G3 Hannover Hessen Pokal S. winner Lady Deauville (Fr) (Fasliyev {USA}) and was five times successful at Listed level.