By Alan Carasso
B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm has made serious inroads in Australia over the past few seasons, and the operation was represented Wednesday by Redouble (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), who made a winning debut in a 1200-metre maiden race at Canterbury in New South Wales (video).
Dispatched at odds of 11-1, the bay jumped alertly from gate two beneath Christian Reith and was kept busy to remain just behind the leaders through the middle stages. The bay traveled strongly nearing the lane, managed to get through one away from the fence in the stretch and held sway late to defeat Godolphin filly Raiment (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) by a neck.
“He trialled about 10 days ago (0.3-length victory over 760m at Hawkesbury Apr. 18–video) and ran a very similar trial and showed the same kind of willingness to put his head down and get after it,” commented Ned Toffey, general manager for Spendthrift. “That's what we were hoping we would see and it was nice to actually see that.”
A son of G1 NZB Breeders' S. victrix Special Mission (NZ) (Towkay {Aus}), Redouble was consigned to the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Torryburn Stud and was scooped up by the Spendthift braintrust for A$200,000 (catalogue page).
“We were really tickled to get him for A$200,000,” Toffey submitted. “He's really a big, stretchy horse. He isn't quite the classic mold that seems to be most popular in Australia–kind of the more compact, sprinter type.
He continued, “It's the end of his 2-year-old year, but the fact that he's doing it at two is very encouraging, because he's big and scopey–what we would call a two-turn type of horse. But it's great that he's precocious enough to do this right now. To look at him, he doesn't exactly scream 2-year-old. Sometimes it's a matter of how fast they can pick them up and put them down. It's a nice start and we'll look forward to more.”
Toffey said that Spendthrift has “about eight” horses currently in training in Australia, one with Gai Waterhouse and the majority–like Redouble–with Hawkes Racing of Michael, John and Wayne Hawkes.
Toffey and the Spendthrift team will have their eyes glued to late-night television Friday evening (US time), as Swear (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}–Crossyourheart {NZ}, by Show a Heart {Aus}), an A$725,000 Inglis Easter yearling purchase, makes his career debut in the A$125,000 Claret S. at Hawkesbury.
“They're comparable sort of horses, though Redouble seems to be a little more forward,” Toffey reported. “They both trialled very nicely (video of Swear's most recent trial Apr. 18) and we're certainly looking forward to it.”
Spendthrift shuttles four stallions back and forth between America and its Australian base in Victoria: Can the Man (Into Mischief), Hampton Court (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), Jimmy Creed (Distorted Humor) and Warrior's Reward (Medaglia d'Oro).
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