No. 1950
MONDAY 24th - THURSDAY 27th JUNE 2013
ISSN 1023 / 6996
4
The Choice. The 3yo Australian bred Honorine has a touch of class and is a serious runner if running to her best form
FLAMINGO PARK 12:20am (Monday) p.4
VAAL
12:45pm (Tuesday) p.12
SCOTTSVILLE
12:00pm (Wednesday) p.23
VAAL SAND
12:00pm (Thursday) p.31
FM 86 DIVIDED HANDICAP at Vaal on Tuesday
T
A daughter of the world’s best sire son of the great Danehill looks ready to win again at the Vaal on Tuesday. Redoute’s Choice’s lightly raced daughter Honorine looks a cut above her opposition in a race her trainer Mike De Kock would probably expect her to win.
he essence of the matter, that returns on thoroughbred investments are often long term of nature and that racing careers are works in progress are manifested by the reality of this beautifully bred filly racing for a first cheque of
was crowned champion first season sire in Australia in 2004 and champion sire in 2006. With seven crops of racing age, Redoute’s Choice has established himself as the heir apparent in Australia to his In The Blood champion sire Danehill, She is beautifully bred He already has 20 worldwide though. Redoute’s Choice stakes winners this season,
R58 750 at a modest Vaal midweek meeting. That is put into perspective partially by the fact that her champion sire, a former multiple Gr1 winning racehorse, stands for a fee of approximately ZAR1,3 million.
with 3 of his sensational sons (of which six have sired Gr1 winners) alongside him among Australia’s top 20 sires standings. He has a superb book of mares visiting him in his first northern hemisphere season at the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval. So while Honorine is racing against modest fillies by comparison, and some of whose purchase prices wouldn’t even cover a month’s interest on her Dad’s fee, she will still have to put her best foot forward to win this. It remains a competitive race.
On Fire
Honorine started her career in May last year in KZN, winning her first two on the trot over 1000m. She was then considered good enough to take her chances against the boys in the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe and ran a terrific third behind War Horse after running handily. That was some welcome small black type. A flat effort in the Starling Stakes behind stablemate Festival Of Fire in November, saw Honorine rested six months. She returned with spark to finish third 1,30
lengths off Kalaam over Tuesday’s course and distance. She was reported making a respiratory noise, which is not a good sign obviously. Honorine then did the second run after a rest thing, by fading to finish unplaced in a Conditions Plate behind Go Indigo last Saturday. Cont. p.2