News

Blue Sky Unleash New Sire Prospect

10th Aug 2011

Breednet - Tara Madgwick - Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Champion sire Redoute’s Choice has started the new season in hot form with a flurry of blue-blooded winners, but none have been more impressive than Rekindled Alliance, who kicked off his career with a barnstorming win at Canterbury on Wednesday.

The Paul Messara trained colt was easy in betting, but belied the lack of support from punters to produce a sizzling turn of foot from back in the field to zoom home and win a competitive 1100 metre maiden in the manner of a horse going places.

"That was a super run and exceeded all our expectations first up as we thought it would be too short,” said Paul Messara.

"We’ll see how he pulls up, but longer races will suit him better and being a stallion prospect we hope he will measure up to stakes races this spring.

"Blue Sky have been very good clients and we’ve enjoyed success in the past with Beneteau and this is another very exciting horse.”

A full brother to last season’s Group II winning three year-old Rekindled Interest, who resumed from a spell last weekend with a strong run into second in the Group III VRC Auries Stakes Handicap, Rekindled Alliance (pictured as a yearling) was a $400,000 purchase from the Bellerive Stud draft at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Winning rider Corey Brown was also full of praise for Rekindled Alliance.

"I was very impressed,” he said.

"He travelled really well, although was still a bit green, but when I pressed the button, he really accelerated... I haven’t ridden one for a while that quickened like that.”

Rekindled Alliance is raced by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, Arrowfield and Pinecliff Racing, whose manager Jonathan Munz bred the colt from his imported mare Rekindled Affair (IRE), who died prematurely in 2009.

By champion sire Rainbow Quest from Irish stakes-winner Seasonal Pickup, Rekindled Affair has had eight foals to race for seven winners and started her stud career in the Northern Hemisphere leaving US Group III winner Where We Left Off and French stakes-winner Porticcio before Rekindled Interest came along to add further lustre to her record.