The Choice. The 3yo Australian bred Honorine has a touch of class and is a serious runner if running to her best form at the Vaal on Tuesday
A daughter of the world’s best sire son of the great Danehill looks ready to win again in the FM 86 Divided Handicap 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.
The 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 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.
In The Blood
She is beautifully bred though. Redoute’s Choice 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 champion sire Danehill, He already has 20 worldwide stakes winners this season, 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.
Down Under
Scope. Recent runaway maiden winner Safaa could be a danger under Robbie Fradd
De Kock’s three way coupling is made up entirely of Australian bred fillies. Safaa is a daughter of Encosta De Lago out of a five time winning Danehill mare. She ran two good seconds (to subsequent multiple winners Crimson Fire and Amber Orchid) in KZN in her first three starts before a nine months rest. Unplaced first time after the break, she cruised in over Tuesday’s course and distance at the end of May in a Workriders race.
That was definitely not highly credible in terms of the opposition, but the manner that Safaa recovered after a slow jumo showed that her break and renewed fitness may have done the trick. She will be ridden here by Robbie Fradd.
Fit Enough?
The third of the De Kock runners is the Danehill Dancer filly Beautiful Muriel, who will likely need the run after winning once from four starts to date. If fit and well again after his injury and illness, Piere Strydom will ride the Miesque’s Approval filly Approximate for Stan Ferreira.
A promising winner of two of five starts, she won over the course and distance last time out and could go in again. Another course and distance winner is Weiho Marwing’s Spectrum filly Baluga.
Baluga has won twice from her nine starts and is a proven course and distance sort, as evidenced by her facile win beating Scarlet Veil early in April. She appears to have improved nicely since being ridden with more restraint and could be a danger at best.
Quiet Patch
Clinton Binda’s yard has been a little quiet of late, but he is not without a shout with his three way coupling of the experienced mares Mystical Jet and Coastal Cabaret, and the younger daughter of Oratorio, Fun Sunzi (another Aussie bred!) The older two have won eight races between them, and Mystical Jet is a particularly interesting runner.
The daughter of Jet Master is a course and distance winner who won her first three races on the trot and subsequently produced an excellent run when finishing fifth behind Extra Zero in the Gr3 Sycamore Sprint. If not needing this run too much after a five month rest, she could be running on strongly late. Coastal Cabaret is never far off them, but is held by Approximate on their last meeting. She loves the course and distance and is a natural inclusion at best.
Fun Sunzi rounds off the Binda trio. She will need to improve after starting out in fiery style with two wins from her first four starts. She has lost her way since, and did not enjoy the sand at her first Vaal outing. The change of surface may see her improving.
De Kock
This remains a tough little race to dissect. While the class undoubtedly lies with Mike De Kock’s Honorine, her stablemate Safaa could be just about anything now that she has won. Then the Binda runners are hardknocking older sorts whose experience may rule the day.
A position of banking the De Kock coupling or going fairly wide needs to be taken by Pick Six players. But we know the quality, reliability and strike rate of the master. Which should make up our minds which way to lean.
