Triple Crown winners are rare in racing but tour members on the 2019 Ontrack Hunter Valley Horse and Wine Tour will be able to get up close with two stallions with America’s most prized trophy on their CVs. American Pharoah was the first Triple Crown in 37 years when winning the 2015 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes and he has stood at Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley for the past two seasons. This spring he will be joined in the palatial Coolmore stallion barn by the 2018 Triple Crown Champion in Justify. “American Pharoah was the first Triple Crown winner to stand at stud in Australia and it’s hard to believe that our Hunter Valley Horse Tour will be at Coolmore in November and will get the chance to inspect two Triple Crown champions,” said Ontrack Thoroughbreds Managing Director Grant Morgan. “American Pharoah always creates a fantastic impression while Justify is a special horse as he’s the only Triple Crown winner to retire undefeated, having won all of his six races. “He’s a son of stallion sensation Scat Daddy, who also has another son at Coolmore in the Hunter in the brilliant sprinter Caravaggio. “Of interest to Australians was that Justify raced in the China Horse Club colours which have become so familiar on our racetracks.” A chestnut colt Justify went from winning his first race, a 1400 metres maiden at Santa Anita in February to winning the Group One Belmont Stakes over 2400 metres in June. Unfortunately he suffered a slight injury soon after and the decision was made to retire the colt. In September last year, majority owner WinStar Farm announced that Justify would stand at Ashford Stud, the North America branch of Coolmore Stud at a fee for 2019 of $(US)150,000. “It’s always great to see these mighty horses in the flesh and I can’t wait to get to Coolmore in October and see Justify. “We’ve had a fantastic response to the Hunter Valley Tour this year and we are not far from being sold out, so it seems a lot of our clients are also looking forward to seeing the Triple Crown champions as well,” said Grant Morgan. Ontrack’s Hunter Valley Horse and Wine Tour will be markedly different this year with the sad news that Arrowfield Stud’s champion stallion Redoute’s Choice has died this morning.
The rising 23 year-old son of Danehill and Shantha’s Choice was humanely euthanised after suffering a traumatic loss of mobility which could not be restored, despite intensive care by Arrowfield’s veterinary and stallion teams. “Arrowfield is always one of the most popular studs on the Ontrack tour each year and Redoute’s Choice was a must see for tour members during his magnificent career,” said Ontrack’s Managing Director Grant Morgan. “He was without peer at the height of his career and our tour members were gobsmacked by the horse when he was paraded during those glory years. “Not only was he a champion colt on the racetrack, he matured into a magnificent specimen of a thoroughbred at stud. “In recent years the horse battled health issues and he wasn’t on public display but he continued to serve mares and get high class winners. “He sired 34 individual Group One winners and now his daughters are continuing his legacy and this season Redoute’s Choice mares have left Group One winners Arcadia Queen, Extra Brut and Amphitrite this season. “None of his recent colts have been better than The Autumn Sun and the 2019 Ontrack Hunter Valley tour might just be watching the start of this colt’s career at Arrowfield in October,” said Grant Morgan. Announcing today’s sad news, Arrowfield’s John Messara said: “Redoute’s Choice is such a big part of all our lives, and right now it’s hard to imagine Arrowfield without him. “He has given us so much, Arrowfield has been built on his back and he’s allowed all of us and many, many other people to fulfil our dreams and ambitions. “I thank Muzaffar Yaseen for allowing us to buy into Redoute’s Choice almost two decades ago. Our partnership has always been amicable and it has achieved all that we could hope for, and more. “I’m grateful to all my team, past and present, who are part of his story, especially those who have cared for and worked with Redoute’s Choice every day and have ensured that he’s had the long and wonderful life he deserved. There are many tears being shed at Arrowfield today.\ “I also thank everyone who helped us launch his stud career, his shareholders, and those who bred to him, and bought, raced, trained and rode his progeny. He has blessed us all.” The first of the annual Ontrack tours has concluded for 2018 with a fabulous group of 28 taking in the wonderful sights of horse & wine country in the Hunter Valley. Guests came from far and wide to attend the tour including Monto, Strathalbyn, Mareeba, Oakdale, Bayles, Williamstown and Seaford. The tour again took in the leading farms including Newgate Farm, Darley Kelvinside, Yarraman Park, Vinery Stud, Coolmore Stud & Arrowfield Stud. The group stayed in the heart of wine country at the well appointed Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens at Pokolbin. “Almost half the group were visiting the Hunter Valley for the first time,” said Ontrack’s Grant Morgan. “It’s great for our industry to bring people to this fantastic area to showcase these showpeice properties and world class stallions.” The tour concluded with a visit to Coolmore Stud which was preceeded by a fabulous lunch and drinks at the adjoining Hollydene Estate Winery. The Ontrack Hunter Valley Horse & Wine Tour was first conducted in 2004. 2019 Tour Details Ontrack Hunter Valley Horse & Wine Tour (Sunday 13 October – Thursday 17 October, 2019). For details contact tours@getontrack.com.au or call 1300 785 529. Tour Gallery - 2018 Ontrack Horse & Wine Tour |
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