It's a familiar position for three-time Champion Sire Redoute's Choice, whose $8.4 million earnings place him fifth in 2014/15. He's made the top ten every season since 2004/05 and, in fact, has been a top five finisher in ten of the past 11 seasons - a record unmatched by any other active Australian sire.
His eleven 2014/15 Australian stakeswinners are headed by champion sprinter Lankan Rupee, whose Manikato & Lightning Stakes victories were among the year's very best performances. Classy sprinter-miler Bonaria (VRC Myer Classic) and 3YO colt Hampton Court (ATC Spring Champion S.) completed a quartet of domestic Group 1 successes.
The international demand for yearlings by Redoute's Choice gives him a strong presence in other jurisdictions, and seven Group victories made 2014/15 an outstanding offshore season. South African champions Majmu & Wylie Hall notched up three Group 1 wins between them and New Zealand Group 2 winners Abidewithme & Vavasour boosted his Southern Hemisphere tally of stakes wins to twenty-five, more than any other ANZ-based sire.
Wylie Hall & Majmu added a bonus milestone when they ran 1-2 in the Turffontein President's Champions Challenge S. G1 - the fourth Group 1 quinella on their sire's lifetime record.
The marketplace highlight for Redoute's Choice was his 65th million-dollar yearling, Arrowfield's filly from Weekend Beauty, purchased at Inglis Easter by Takaya Shimakawa for $1.1 million.
Snitzel makes his fourth consecutive top-ten appearance in the No. 8 spot on the General Sires' list with $7.7 million prizemoney. However, the major stories of his year came from the Group 1 calendar and the sale-ring.
Snitzel doubled his Group 1 winners from three to six, thanks to a trio of Arrowfield graduates: amazon queen Sweet Idea, top-class 3YO colt Wandjina and 6YO speed warrior Hot Snitzel.
He topped the Inglis Easter Sale for the first time with not one, but two smashing colts: Milburn Creek's $2.2 million colt out of Admirelle and Arrowfield's $1.8 million colt from Alinghi. Breeders who paid $30,000 to use Snitzel in 2012 watched his 2015 yearlings average almost eight times that figure across all sales.
Not A Single Doubt makes his debut among Australia's leading stallions in ninth spot with earnings of $6.9 million. He is fourth by winners (144) and wins (218), and is the Leading Sire of 2YO winners for the second consecutive year after his 23rd juvenile winner, Love Goes On saluted on 29 July.
Forty-three yearlings by Not A Single Doubt sold for an average of more than $92,000 in 2015, with Gai Waterhouse paying his top price of $280,000 at Magic Millions Gold Coast for the full sister to Group 3 winner and Golden Rose runner-up Squamosa.
Other sons of Redoute's Choice to feature on the end-of-season Premiership lists were Stratum (13th on the General table with $6 million and five stakeswinners) and Beneteau (runner-up on the First Season Sires' list by earnings, winners & wins).
The daughters of Redoute's Choice are also proving very effective distributors of his beneficial influence to the next generation. Sixth on the complete list, he is the leading active Australian Broodmare Sire in 2014/15 with $7.5 million prizemoney and eight stakeswinners including Group 1 winners Sacred Falls and 2YO Pasadena Girl.
Redoute's Choice & sons in Australia's top 10
Wednesday 5 August 2015, 3:21pm
– Arrowfield Stud