Australia’s newly crowned number one sprinter Redzel will bypass a January Magic Millions campaign and be prepared for the major sprints during the 2018 Autumn Carnivals.
Redzel, above, will bypass the Magic Millions Carnival and be set for the Autumn Sprints. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Redzel successfully took the crown away from The Team Hawkes trained Chautauqua and it now sits firmly on the head of the Peter and Paul Snowden trained speedster following his scintillating win in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) down the Flemington straight last Saturday which followed a similar display of sustained speed at his previous start in winning the the $10m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick a month earlier.
Redzel was a product off the 2014 Magic Millions Yearling Sales at the Gold Coast and would be eligible to run in the $1m Magic Millions Sprint (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 13 but Peter Snowden said that he will instead concentrate on the major Autumn Carnival Sprints.
“He is a Magic Millions horse, but I think it’s just too hot to take him up there, so we’re more likely to kick off mid-February, early March,” Snowden told Melbourne’s RSN on Sunday.
Redzel showed his liking for the Flemington straight on the weekend so a return there wouldn’t surprise during the 2018 Melbourne Autumn Carnival to run in the Group 1 $750,000 Lightning Stakes (1000m) on February 17 and in the Group 1 $1.25m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) on March 10.
The Sydney Autumn Carnival also offers the Group 1 $2.5m T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 7 over the same course and distance as the $10m The Everest.
The Triple Crown Syndicated Redzel has made a meteoric rise through the grades over the last twelve months since winning the Listed $150,000 Mumm Stakes (1000m) at Flemington during the 2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Redzel has now won his last six starts and as well and winning The Everest and the Group 1 Darley, also led all of the way to win the Group 1 $700,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1200m) at Doomben during the 2017 Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Triple Crown Syndicate director Chris Ward said it was quite amazing how Redzel had climbed to the top in such a short time.
“I couldn’t have imagined he got to the point he has now,” Ward told Radio TAB’s Past The Post.
“You never know what level they are going to get to. This bloke has been on an upward spiral ever since (his 2016 Flemington win).
“Who knows if he’s reached his peak yet or not — he certainly doesn’t need to go any higher — but maybe he will in time.”
Redzel’s win in the Darley Classic on the last day of the four day Melbourne Cup Carnival took his overall earnings to $7,797,750.