Redoute’s Choice added another name to the list of his sons to have sired a winner at Tuncurry on Saturday.

Redoubtablemperor opened his account when Emperor Bee saluted second-up in the Bowling Club Maiden Plate (1000m) for trainer Gloria Parker.  The grey 5yo was the outsider of the field after being beaten 10 lengths on debut at Port Macquarie on New Years Day.

Emperor Bee was bred by David Whyte and his mother Ruth.  Whyte and his partner Rita are based at Southgate Thoroughbreds at Kangaroo Valley in the NSW Southern Highlands.  Ruth lives right opposite North Steyne Surf Club at Manly Beach.

“I first saw his dam Beautiful Bess in paddock behind the vet at Mittagong,” Whyte recalled.  “When I went down a couple of months later she was still there.  I liked her and bought her by fixing some unpaid bills with the vet Karim Kooros.”

First-up the Whytes sent Beautiful Bess (Ignatius) to Redoubtablemperor who had been retired after a career of missed opportunities.  Purchased by Graeme Rogerson for $120,000 at the 2004 Gold Coast Magic Millions, he won juvenile trials at Randwick and Rosehill but eventually transferred out of Sydney to win first-up as a spring 4yo at Port Macquarie.

“We heard he was a much better than that but had feet problems,” Whyte added.  “We booked in Beautiful Bess and sent her up to Mulgoa where he was standing at Porter Thoroughbreds.”
Emperor Bee took time to get going and didn’t debut until he was a summer 5yo on New Years Day at Port Macquarie.  “He was broken in by a bloke at Berry who works for Chris Waller,” Whyte said.  “We sent her up to Gloria Parker at Port Macquarie but he had ulcers and kept going shinny.

“Gloria has done a great job with Emperor Bee and Karim sent her a home-grown cure that healed the ulcers.  He failed first-up on New Years Day but it was 40 degrees and he was in a muck lather.”

Emperor Bee improved 10 lengths to treat his Tuncurry assignment like a stepping-stone to better things this year.  And the Whytes are also looking ahead with Beautiful Bess.  She has a 2yo by Gasket (Danehill) and a colt on the ground by Global Crossing (Danehill).

But there are no more by Redoubtablemperor (pictured).  He moved on from Mulgoa to Fairview Stud north of Murwillumbah where he died in March 2015.