Second Oakleigh Plate for Redoute’s Choice

Four year-old flyer Lankan Rupee highlighted another superb day for Arrowfield Stud champion Redoute’s Choice in the G1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield.

Lankan Rupee (4g Redoute’s Choice – Estelle Collection by Stravinsky) became the 24th Group 1 winner by his sire in the time-honoured sprint on Saturday.  He is a members of Redoute’s Choice’s 2009 crop which has now produced 17 stakes winners from only 107 named foals – the same number as his benchmark second crop, but from fewer foals.

The Mick Price trained sprinter is the third Group 1 winner from that Class of 2009 after Royal Descent (Australian Oaks) and Wylie Hall (South African Derby).  He is also the second son of Redoute’s Choice to win the Oakleigh Plate, after Snitzel in 2006.

Lankan Rupee’s owner-breeder Muzaffar Yaseen won his first Group 1 on the same day in 1999 when Redoute’s Choice saluted in the Blue Diamond Stakes.  His colours were in the Group 1 winner’s circle again at Caulfield this time last year when Miracles of Life (Not A Single Doubt) won the Blue Diamond.

Lankan Rupee’s dam Estelle Collection has a 2YO Redoute’s Choice filly named Timeless Choice, a weanling filly by Manhattan Rain and is once again in foal to Redoute’s Choice.

Earlier on Saturday, Lilliburlero became the 110th stakes winner by Redoute’s Choice in the G3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.  Trained by David Payne, she was racing first-up since October after earlier wins at Newcastle and Rosehill (2).

Lilliburlero (4m Redoute’s Choice – Regimental Gal by General Nediym) is a homebred for Bruce Neill of Cressfield.  Her dam was a Group 1 winner of the VRC Lightning Stakes & VRC Australia Stakes.

Less than an hour after the Oakleigh Plate, Bonaria added more black-type to her record by winning the G3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Bonaria (5m Redoute’s Choice – Decidity by Last Tycoon) is trained by Pat Hyland for owner-breeders Robert and Deborah Anderson.  As it happened, daughters of Arrowfield’s now-retired champion sire Flying Spur completed both quinellas.  Recoinage chased home Lilliburlero while Hazard was the runner-up to Bonaria.

Redoute’s Choice has 10 yearlings in the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale in March, and 36 lots catalogued for the Inglis Australian Easter Sale in April.