News

Bluebloods for a Blue Riband

26th Oct 2010

Breednet - Tara Madgwick - Tuesday, 26 October 2010

Two geldings raised on the same farm will compete against each other this Saturday for a first prize cheque of $900,000.

With three of the top five most fancied runners in the Group One VRC Victoria Derby on Saturday, reigning champion sire Redoute’s Choice (pictured) is well positioned to claim his first win in the spring Blue Riband.

Victoria Derby

Rekindled Interest (Redoute’s Choice) $3.10
Retrieve $3.60
Almindoro (Redoute’s Choice) $7.00
Digital Fortress $10.00
Shadowofexcellence (Redoute’s Choice) $14.00

Champion sire Redoute’s Choice has proven a good source of classic stamina siring Derby and Oaks winners such as Miss Finland, Samantha Miss, Dariana, Empire’s Choice, Redoute’s Dancer, Gallica and Anamato, so it’s no surprise to see several of his stock looming large for the Victoria Derby.

A smaller and less muscular individual than many of his sire’s stock, the Jim Conlan trained gelding Rekindled Interest (pictured www.stevehart.com.au) finally had things go his way in the Group Two MVRC AAMI Vase at Moonee Valley last Saturday resulting in a good tough win that has seen him promoted to the top of the Derby betting.

A homebred for successful owner/breeder Jonathan Munz foaled and raised at Bellerive Stud, he runs in the Pinecliff Racing colours and has a formidable Derby pedigree being the third stakes-winner from imported Rainbow Quest mare Rekindled Affair (IRE), who sadly died last year.

Rekindled Affair produced three foals during her time in Australia with Mr Munz, Rekindled Interest the first of them, who was retained after being withdrawn from the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

“Rekindled Interest was a lovely yearling, but he had questionable x-rays and rather than see him sold for below his worth, we decided to withdraw him from sale,” explained Bellerive Stud Manager, Brian Gorman.

“His breeder Jonathan Munz isn’t frightened to race a horse himself and the colt was such a nice individual, very much in the European mould of his mother.”

Her second foal, a yearling colt by Redoute’s Choice was sold for $400,000 at Inglis Easter this year and her last, a yearling filly by Redoute’s Choice is likely to be retained.

“The colt offered this year sold very well and provided a great result, while the filly is likely to be kept by Mr Munz as with the loss of the mare last year and Rekindled Interest now winning a Group Two, she has become a valuable commodity,” Gorman said.

Yet to win a race, but well fancied following his half length second to Retrieve in the Group Three MRC Norman Robinson Stakes is another Redoute’s Choice gelding in Almindoro, a $300,000 purchase from the Bellerive draft at the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Like Rekindled Interest, Almindoro was also foaled and raised at Bellerive and boasts an imported pedigree.

Bred by Dr Chris Rogers, Almindoro is the first foal of his Machiavellian dam Alalunga (USA), who comes from a family of superstar US performers including Sky Classic, Regal Classic and current leading US sire Smart Strike.

“Alalunga was a mare I bought with my Dad at Keeneland,” explained well known pedigree expert Byron Rogers.

“She was a very nice mare and my Dad is a big fan of Smart Strike as a stallion so with her third dam being No Class it fitted what he was after.

“I obviously do a fair bit of business up here in America but I have only bought maybe a dozen mares at public auction here that have runners in Australia and I can count Alalunga and Synaesthesia (dam of Mentality) among them.”

Sent to Redoute’s Choice in her first season, Alalunga produced a big strapping colt.

“Almindoro and Rekindled Interest have grown up together and were alongside each other through their yearling preparations so it’s kind of ironic to see them lining up together in the Victoria Derby,” Gorman revealed.

“Almindoro was always a big strong horse, a very imposing individual with a lot of leg under him... you could always imagine he might be the type to get to a Derby.

“His trainer Steve Richards always said he had plenty of ability although his first two starts were disappointing, but he’s really come good now at the right time.”

The sister farm to Arrowfield Stud, Bellerive Stud is situated right next to Arrowfield and is a boutique broodmare farm offering fully integrated services to private clients ranging from mare agistment, walk-ons, foaling down and yearling preparation with yearling drafts consigned under the Bellerive banner.

“Jonathan Munz and Dr Chris Rogers have been clients of Bellerive since we first started and we are delighted for them to have achieved such success,” Gorman added.

Continuing the trend of international female families is another blue-blooded maiden in Shadowofexcellence, the three-quarter brother to triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva from star producer Tugela (USA).

A $1.2 million Inglis Easter purchase for Patinack Farm raced in partnership with his breeder Tony Santic, the John Thompson trained colt has had little luck to date and could easily be on target to break his maiden in style this Saturday.

Redoute’s Choice is currently covering his 11th book of mares at Arrowfield Stud at a fee of $176,000, the lowest fee he has stood for since 2004.