Redoute's Choice Filly Stays Unbeaten in Group 1 Test

Abbey Marie | photo courtesy Inglis

Abbey Marie (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) entered Saturday's G1 Schweppes Oaks as something of an unknown quantity, with just two starts at a much lower level under her girth, but she emerged with her unbeaten record intact and her considerable promise confirmed. Away in good order from the two hole, the dark bay was in no hurry early in the 2000-metre test, dropping back to sit midpack and on the rail in the field of 16 with favoured Silent Sedition (Aus) (War Chant) one spot ahead. About six lengths off the lead passing the halfway mark, jockey Luke Nolen angled Abbey Marie off the fence in search of running room going into the turn. Confronted with a wall of fillies at the top of the lane, Abbey Marie was initially shut out and roughed up when trying to split horses, but she bravely fought back, splitting rivals in midstretch. Once in the clear, she kicked past Silent Sedition and C'Est Beau La Vie (Aus) (Bernardini) doing battle on her inside and won with seemingly something in the tank.

Saturday, Morphettville, Australia
SCHWEPPES OAKS (Australasian Oaks)-G1, A$401,020, SAJC, 5-7, 3yo, f, Open Set Weight, 2000mT, 2:04.15, gd.
1–&@#ABBEY MARIE, 56.0, f, 3, by Redoute's Choice
1st Dam: Catshaan, by Catrail (USA)
2nd Dam: Keltshaan (USA), by Pleasant Colony (USA)
3rd Dam: Featherhill (FR), by Lyphard (USA)
(A$300,000 Ylg 2014 WI Sydney Easter Yearling Sale) O-J B
O'Rourke, E Campbell, M C Kent, Grandlodge Racing Pty Ltd
(Mgr: P Anastasiou), Ken Bee Sports (Aust) Pty Ltd (Mgr: K E
Biddick) & Hotel California (Mgr: G D Fagan); B-Teeley Assets
Ltd VIC; T-M C Kent; J-L Nolen; A$257,020. Lifetime Record:
3-3-0-0, A$315,870. *Full to Absolutely (Aus), G1SW-Aus,
$A469,500. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Silent Sedition, 56.0, f, 3, War Chant (USA)–Fiorentina, by
Dubai Destination (USA). (A$45,000 Ylg 2014 MM Perth
Yearling Sale) O-Aqua Trained Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd (Mgr: T F
Curnow); B-Ms EE Giles WA; T-Andrew Noblet; J-Craig
Williams; A$68,000.
3–C'Est Beau la Vie, 56.0, f, 3, Bernardini (USA)–Valkyrie Diva,
by Jade Robbery (USA). (A$170,000 Ylg 2014 WI Sydney Easter
Yearling Sale) O-Mrs E Ange, M McBride, Mrs P Macdonald, R
Sands, Mrs R Sands, H Brooks, J Norden, P Lamming, K
Falconer, K Cock, D Brown, A Mezzini & B Caruso; B-Makybe
Racing & Breeding VIC; T-L Macdonald & A Gluyas; J-J Holder;
A$32,000.
Margins: 0.4 len, 1.2 len, 1.8 len. Odds: 6.00, 3.00, 11.00.
Also Ran: Sacred Eye, Arcadia Dream, Believe, Beluga Blue, First Impressions (NZ), Comprende, Pasadena Girl (NZ), Asinara, Bengal Cat, The Grey Flash, Jacqui's Joy (NZ), Lopartega, Riverina Bella.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

Abbey Marie, a A$300,000 buy from the Inglis Easter sale in 2014, made a belated career debut at Sandown Mar. 23, winning a 1300-metre maiden by three-quarters of a length. She reappeared a month later, winning a benchmark 70 race over 1440 metres at Caulfield. Abbey Marie was trying stakes company and racing outside Victoria for the first time Saturday and repaid the faith of trainer Mick Kent, who also trained her full-sister, Absolutely, to finish second in this in 2011–when it was staged in March–before winning the G1 Australian Oaks.

“She's a bit more brilliant than Absolutely,” Kent said. “Genetically they are set to run these trips and no amount of training can change that.” Kent noted Abbey Marie would now go for a spell.

“She's straight to the paddock and we will bring her back for the spring; the [G1] Myer Classic will be the race for her.”

Absolutely and Catshaan were both bought by Dermot Farrington from the Arrowfield consignment at Easter, the former costing A$150,000. Catshaan's yearling Manhattan Rain (Aus) colt was bought by trainer Gai Waterhouse for A$150,000 at last month's Easter sale, and the mare has a colt foal by Redoute's Choice.

Catshaan is a half-sister to Japanese champion sprinter/miler Kinshasa No Kiseki (Aus) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}). The pedigree traces back to the productive French family of G1 Prix Lupin winner Groom Dancer (Blushing Groom {Fr}), French champion filly Indian Rose (Fr), G1 Prix Ganay winner Vert Amande (Fr), G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Le Nain Jaune (Fr), and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Plumania (GB).

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