Redoute's Choice and Snitzel are set to finish a respective first and second in Australia's 2013-14 general sires premiership, an unprecedented accomplishment for a father and son at stud since the inaugural publication of the Australian general sires' table for the 1883-84 season.
Australia's 2013-14 season officially concludes July 31. Both stallions are based at the same farm, Arrowfield Stud in Scone, New South Wales, adding an extra level of difficulty for any stallions seeking to duplicate the feat in the future.
Redoute's Choice secured his third leading general sire title following his successes in 2005-06 and 2009-10. The son of Danehill will end the season with Australian earnings of more than $10.2 million and at least 96 winners headed by 10 stakes victors. Five of them from his superlative 2009 crop. That group includes three-time group I winner Lankan Rupee, Australia's top-rated horse of the season and the world's best sprinter in 2014 with a figure of 123 on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings.
Snitzel takes the number two spot on the general sires' premiership with more than Aus$9.8 million purse money, largely earned by his 82 winners from five crops of racing age. He jointly leads the nation's general sires by stakes winners with 13, including group I winners Shamus Award and Snitzerland.
Darley's Australian-based Exceed And Excel looks to have secured third among Australia's general sires, with Aus$9.4 million in purse money amassed by 125 winners, including 13 stakes winners.
Redoute's Choice is the only active Australian sire to win more than two premierships. He is the only son of Danehill to head the table more than once, surpassing the single title victories of Flying Spur (2007), Fastnet Rock (2012), and Exceed And Excel (2013).
Redoute's Choice's three titles in nine years are exceeded in the past century only by Better Boy (four titles between 1966 and 1977) and Danehill (nine titles between 1995 and 2005).
Redoute's Choice is also having a major impact as a broodmare sire. He will finish the Australian season with Aus$9.8 million prize money, 12 stakes winners (most notably Sacred Falls and Zoustar), and in third position on that table, behind Zabeel and Danehill. That surpasses the achievement of Danehill's final Australian stallion premiership season in 2004-05, when he finished fifth on the Australian broodmare sires' list.
The one-two finish by stallions standing at the same facility also is historically significant in Australia. Such a ranking was last achieved by Kia Ora Stud 61 years ago when Delville Wood and Midstream claimed the first two positions on the 1953 premiership list.
"The toughest contests are always the most exciting to win, so this premiership quinella, achieved in our industry's most competitive era, means a great deal to me, my family and my team," Arrowfield chairman John Messara said.
"It's wonderful to stand briefly at the top of the mountain, but the battle for next season's prizes begins on (Aug. 1)."
