Leading stallions Redoute’s Choice and Snitzel have made history by becoming the first father/son duo to quinella the Australian General Sires’ Premiership.
Lankan Rupee played a key role in securing Redoute's Choice the 2013/2014 Australian General Sires’ Premiership. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Redoute’s Choice has been one of the most consistent stallions in Australia since he was named champion first season sire in Australia in 2004 and he will secure his third Australian General Sires’ title at the end of the 2013/2014 racing season on Thursday after previously taking out the title in 2005/2006 and 2009/2010.
The champion sire will finished the 2013/2014 racing season with 96 individual winners and his progeny have accumulated a total of $10,286,698 in prizemoney to give him the Sires’ Premiership title.
Lankan Rupee was the only Group 1 winner for Redoute’s Choice during the 2013/2014 racing season, but the gelding stamped himself as the best horse in Australia and the best sprinter in the world with dominant victories in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m), Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m).
Snitzel has had his breakout season as a sire in 2013/2014 and will finish the season with 82 individual winners, who have accumulated just short of $10,000,000 worth of prizemoney.
Shamus Award was the star progeny of Snitzel this season, with the recently-retired three-year-old taking out both the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m), but the progeny of Snitzel took out a variety of other major races including Snitzerland in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m), Sweet Idea in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m), Time For War in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) and Oakleigh Girl in the Group 3 7News Stakes (1000m).
Both Redoute’s Choice and Snitzel currently stand at Arrowfield Stud and Chairman John Messara was delighted that two of his leading stallions have been able to complete this historic quinella.
“The toughest contests are always the most exciting to win, so this Premiership quinella, achieved in our industry’s most competitive era, means a great deal to me, my family and my team,” Messara said in a statement.
“We are especially proud to share this success with every breeder, owner, trainer, jockey and buyer associated with the progeny of Redoute’s Choice and Snitzel.
“Only our collective investment, skills, work and ambition can make history like this.
“Redoute’s Choice and Snitzel represent the exceptional stallion performance that Arrowfield aims for with every horse we choose to stand.
“I believe our current roster is the best group of stallions we have ever presented to breeders, so our heads are turned with confidence to the future.”
Last year’s champion sire Exceed And Excel will finish in the third position on the Australian General Sires’ Premiership, while Fastnet Rock and Mossman round out the top five.
