Redoute’s Choice had 22 originally catalogued but has two withdrawals - Lots 2 and 284 – and among the 20 selling there are definitely some seven-figure purchases.

He’ll also have yearlings selling in 2020 and 2021 which will become like diamonds.

The popularity of Redoute’s Choice show his sale ring exploits at the past five Inglis Easter Sales:
2014: 22 sold for $8,380,000 (av $380,909) and top lot $800,000.
2015: 25 sold for $9,160,000 (av $366,400) and top lot $1.4m.
2016: 20 lots sold for $11,465,000 (av $573,000) and top lot $1.8m.
2017: 30 lots sold for $14,600,000 (av $486,667) and top lot $2.5m.
2018: 14 lot sold for $5,830,000 (av $416,429) and top lot $1.5m.

Breeders will be not only looking for another The Autumn Sun to come from these sales, but also for the fillies with Redoute’s Choice a runaway leader in the Australian Broodmares Premiership.

Bloodlines has pinpointed three colts with stallion pedigrees on Day 2 at Riverside (April 10).

The first is Lot 286 from Arrowfield’s draft with a great background the dam of which, Stareel, is the producer of Dundeel, which is setting the middle-distance world on fire in Australasia and standing proudly at the Messara-owned property.

Next is Lot 409 from the mare Comaneci (High Chaparral x Circles of Gold) which has an amazing black type page from the Circles Of Gold’s family of Elvstroem, Haradasun, Highland Reel and Idaho.

He is being sold by John Camilleri, who is the breeder of Winx, and being sold by Segenhoe Stud.

Lot 420 rounds off the trio and this colt is a half-brother to Miracles Of Life, an eight-time winner including two at group 1 level. Coolmore Stud is preparing the colt which is an August 31 foaling and definitely has a great pedigree.

He will be in strong demand come April 10, particularly being the last of the Redoute’s Choice yearlings to sell in 2019.

Hey big spenders

The American-owned Spendthrift team have spent millions of dollars and travelled an extraordinary number of hours in their attempt to crack into the Australian market with numerous buys of local yearlings for their Melbourne base.

Spendthrift’s owner B. Wayne Hughes has owned the famous American stud since 2004 and had toyed with the idea of setting up an arm of his breeding in 2015 with his purchase of the Yallambee Stud in Melbourne.

He employed an Australian to take over the management of the Melbourne farm in Garry Cuddy and Spendthrift’s general manager Ned Toffey has been a regular visitor to Australia for the Inglis Easter and Gold Coast Magic Millions Sales since 2015.

Lukas said on his ownership of Yallambee: “I believe the purchase in Australia was one of the most exciting things we’ve ever done at Spendthrift and something we’ve aspired to do for a long time.”

Bloodlines has followed Spendthrift’s presence down under closely and the amount of travel by Toffey from Kentucky to be present at the Australian sales is time-consuming but he is determined to make Australia profitable.

In a recent article in the US magazine Bloodhorse Coffey was interviewed regarding the move to Australia and gave an appraisal of his association.

“We’ve learned a lot since we’ve been in Australia. I think that it’s such a speed-driven and precocity-driven market. I think the thing we’ve seen is that the breeding industry has become stronger and stronger over the years, and I think that Australians are a little like Kentuckians.

“They want to have seen a horse race, see it be successful, and be comfortable with the sire line before they invest their time, money, and a year of their mare’s life in a given stallion.”

I put together some figures which Spendthrift has outlaid since buying Yallambee trying to identify future stallion prospects. At the Magic Millions they have signed for 19 yearlings, which includes a couple of fillies, for $7.3m while their Inglis outlay reveals 12 yearlings for $7.8m.

There hasn’t been a great deal of success, but there have been many who have tried a similar system. Bloodlines has been working as a “salesman” at the yearling sales in Australia for two decades and the Spendthrift team is extremely professional.

The good news is that their efforts in trying to select a future stallion prospect is just around the corner after their purchase of a colt by Snitzel from Walk With Attitude from John Muir’s Milburn Creek Farm 12 months ago.

Once again Spendthrift put their money where their mouth was and went to $1.55m to secure the cracking colt. I was proud to be part of the selling team, and even a lot prouder after witnessing the colt’s two barrier trials wins during the past three weeks, the latest at Rosehill on Monday.

His name is appropriately Spend and Team Hawkes have a sensational colt on their hands. Hopefully he will show just how good he is when taking on the group 3 Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick on April 6, day one of the Championships.

johnhollysenior@yahoo.com.au