Once upon a time the VRC St Leger was a race of importance on the Australian calendar. Past winners include Phar Lap, Tulloch, Comic Court, Gurners Lane, So Called etc etc, we could go on.
Last run at Group 3 level in 2004 it is now at Listed level and while it’s probably fair to say the latest winner Sacramento (pictured, red jacket) will not scale great heights, he is important for one reason.
In winning he becomes the 23rd stakes winner for his sire Pierro but more interestingly he is the ninth stakes winner (eight of them male) from 39 runners for his sire out of mares by Redoute’s Choice.
Pierro has sired Gr1 winners Regal Power, Arcadia Queen, Levendi and Dragon Leap this way as well as Gr2 winner Action and Gr3 winner Arcadia Prince and Listed winners Kentucky Breeze and the Hong Kong Derby winner Furore.
And this list is further expanded to Pierro winners out of mares carrying Redoute’s Choice’s sire Danehill.
This gives us Group 1 winners Pierata, Shadow Hero and Pinot. Of Pierro’s 23 stakes winners 15 are out of mares by sons of Danehill, namely Redoute’s Choice, Fastnet Rock, Rock Of Gibraltar, Flying Spur and Exceed And Excel.
Pierro’s sire Lonhro has Group 1 winner Kementari out of a Redoute’s Choice mare while Lonhro’s Group 1 winning son Denman has Group 3 winner Laburnum out of a mare by Redoute’s Choice.
That the combination is so effective should not really surprise.
Redoute’s Choice was already a champion stallion when Pierro was named the champion 2yo in Australia in 2011-12 and physically the pair are compatible, both strongly-made horses who both showed their racetrack ability early on – Pierro winning his first eight starts including the Breeders’ Plate on debut and Redoute’s Choice the Blue Diamond Stakes at just his second start.