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 I stumbled across this gorgeous gem, whilst working hard on Facebook :)

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Daily Telegraph Brent Zerafa

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 Thoroughbred Express

Redoute’s Choice has launched a last ditch bid to reclaim his Australia sires’ crown.  The Arrowfield champion came within a nose of completing a Group 1 double at Eagle Farm on Saturday after his headline filly Dariana destroyed the colts in the $500,000 Queensland Derby.  His all-business filly Melito was all set to make it count in the $1 million Stradbroke when she was bitten by a Piranha.

Redoute’s Choice was only $250,000 behind Encosta de Lago going into the long weekend and they could keep going head-to-head for the final seven weeks of the season.

Coolmore’s reigning champion Encosta de Lago has the numbers but his Arrowfield rival has Melito who will start favourite in the G1 Winter Stakes at Eagle Farm in a fortnight.  

Dariana (3f Redoute's Choice - Beldarian by Last Tycoon) won her maiden at Canterbury in February and, after a detour to Melbourne, she let down nicely to win the Listed Frank Packer Plate at Randwick in April.

Trainer Bart Cummings saw the possibilities and sent her to Brisbane.  Dariana caught the eye first-up in the G3 Doomben Roses when she flew home for a close third to Marheta and Femina Fashion.  It was a clear pointer to the QTC Oaks but punters only finished square in the classic when she got bailed up in the barriers and took no part.

There were no dramas for Dariana in the QTC Derby.  “She got out the gates good and all I did was steer her around,” jockey Michael Rodd said after presenting the winner at the top of straight.  She surged to a clear four length victory.

Dariana is raced by Dato Tan Chin Nam and Bell View Park Stud owner Adam Mackrell.  Cummings also trained Commands mare Russeting for Mackrell after he bought her for $300,000 at the 2009 Gold Coast National Sale.  A fortnight later she won the G1 Winter Stakes.

Dariana is a half-sister to Irish winners Beauty Contest (Singspiel) and Belle Of The Lodge (Grand Lodge).  Their dam Beldarian won three races and was fourth home in the 1998 Irish Oaks.  She has also foaled USA stakes performer Macduff (Machiavellian).  Second dam Sorbus (Busted) was a Leopardstown 2yo winner and she was runner-up in the 1978 Irish Oaks.  

Beldarian has no 2yo this season after missing to Encosta de Lago.  Her yearling is named Alessandra (Fastnet Rock) and she failed to reach a $400,000 reserve at the 2010 Inglis Easter yearling sale.

Redoute’s Choice’s current crop of juveniles are the best group he’s had since Samantha Miss.  He leads the Australian 2yo sires’ premiership for winners with 14 ahead of his own son Stratum and Encosta de Lago on 12.  More Than Ready and Jet Spur are next on 11.

Stratum will win the 2yo and first-season premierships with earnings over $2.92 million.  He heads a group of up-and-coming Redoute’s Choice sires like Not A Single Doubt, Stromberg Carlson, Snitzel, Bradbury’s Luck, God’s Own and Al Samer.

A third Australian general sires’ title would round out a winning season for Redoute’s Choice.  He hasn’t won the flag since 2005-06 but Melito can give him an edge in the $500,000 Winter Stakes on June 26.

SIRE STATS - Australia 2009/2010

SIRE STATS - International 2009/2010

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AAP Racing

Wednesday, 16 June 2010
By Alyssa Braithwaite

Australian sprinter Nicconi failed to live up to his promise in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in which the second favourite could manage only fourth place.

Equiano (9-2), winner of the race in 2008, scored by 1-1/2 lengths over Markab (14-1) with Borderlescott (16-1) a neck away third.

A dual Group One winner in Australia, Nicconi never looked like taking out the prestigious 1000m race which has been won by Australian sprinters four times in the past eight years.

Trained by David Hayes and ridden by international jockey Frankie Dettori the four-year-old, who started at 100-30 second pick behind disappointing 5-2 favourite Kingsgate Native who was sixth, got a clear run late near the rail but was no match for the placegetters, finishing three-quarters of a length from Borderlescott.

"He didn't travel as well as he does in Australia," Dettori told AAP.

"Maybe he ran a bit flat, maybe he didn't travel very well. I was struggling halfway, he stayed on to finish fourth.

"But I don't think the real Nicconi turned up today. I couldn't really put my finger on it, but he never at any stage looked like winning."

Australia's other contender Gold Trail (10-1) was expected to lead but could not muster pace early and was always with the backmarkers before finishing 10th.

British racing commentator Jim McGrath said Gold Trail simply wasn't good enough, but Nicconi should have done better.

"On the face of things the horse Frankie Dettori rode, Nicconi, was a little disappointing," he said.

"He never really travelled at all, he missed the break, got off to a bad start, which is often not a bad thing at Ascot because quite often we see horses coming from way off the pace here.

"But in that particular race on this instance the first and second were first and second throughout. It paid to be handy."

Australian horses have a good track record in the King's Stand.

Choisir was the first Aussie sprinter to win the race in 2003.

He was followed by Takeover Target in 2006, Miss Andretti in 2007 and Scenic Blast in 2009.

All four horses had won the Lightning Stakes in Australia the same year.

This year it was won by Nicconi.

"(Australian horses) have done extremely well here," McGrath said.

"Nicconi looked to have the perfect prep, didn't he, because he'd just come via the race in Australia that usually pinpoints the horses that come over here.

"So I think it was a little disappointing he didn't fare better here."

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