Redoute's Choice Filly Breaks Maiden in WA Oaks

Mark Smith - Sunday March 31

The Redoute's Choice filly Dark Choice gave owner Bob Peters his fifth successive Group III WA Oaks win and his 10th victory in the classic at Ascot on Saturday.

The race was marred by tragedy when the Adam Durrant-trained Assetro collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack 250 metres from home.

Jockey Mitchell Pateman was taken to the Royal Perth Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.

The Grant and Alana Wiliams-trained Dark Choice went into the race as a maiden after three starts.

She gave Chris Parnham his third consecutive WA Oaks win by defeating Ping Me Another (Musket) by a long-neck with Mackenzie Brooke (Blackfriars) a long-head back in third.


"It's quite a feat for a filly having only her fourth start to win an Oaks," Peters told The West Australian.

"It was sad Redoute's Choice died this week. I hope Dark Choice can be among horses that carry on his legacy.

"The Oaks success is particularly satisfying as a breeder-owner because we owned Dark Choice's dam and grand-dam.

"We'll see how Dark Choice pulls up before making a decision on whether she goes on to tackle the Derby."

A homebred for Bob and Sandra Peters, Dark Choice is the first winner for the stakes-placed More Than Ready mare Dark Miss who is a 5-time winning half-sister to the tough gelding Cohort (Scenic) who numbered a pair of Listed stakes wins among his nine victories and a half-sister Red Amber (Dylan Thomas) is the stakes-placed winner of three races, while a half-sister Dark Review is the dam of Group II VRC Bobbie Lewis Stakes winner Churchill Dancer (Churchill Downs).

Dark Miss has an unraced 2yo Zoffany (IRE) filly named Dark Mission, a yearling filly by Redoute's Choice and a filly foal by American Pharoah (USA). She was bred back to the Triple Crown hero again last spring.

Dark Choice becomes the 164th stakes-winner for Redoute's Choice and his first since his death.

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