Just a cursory glance at recent stakes results show why Redoute’s Choice has forged an unassailable lead as the champion broodmare sire for the season, so it takes some belief to keep a multiple stakes-winning five year-old daughter of the sadly missed phenomenon in training.
Certainly, Bob Peters must have extraordinary belief in Perfect Jewel because she had wins in the Group II W.A. Guineas and Listed Belgravia Stakes at three, but she failed to win in six starts at four.
Seemed a good time to retire her however Peters believed she had some unfinished business and kept her in training at five.
For a long time, it appeared a bad decision. She began the season winless in five stats. As the calendar ticked over to January 2020, Perfect Jewel came alive. She won three of her next four starts, the Group II La Trice Classic at Ascot, the Group III Belmont Sprint at Belmont Park and on Saturday she added the Group III Hyperion Stakes at Belmont.
The Adam Durrant-trained mare seems to enjoy the Belmont track.
She won there at her career debut back in July 2017 and did not make the trip back until her Belmont Sprint triumph, so she is now three for three.
With her win in the Hyperion Stakes under Pat Carberry, the Bob Peters homebred advances her record to 7 wins at 2 thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $861,180.
Few mares make a better start to their stud careers than Perfect Jewels dam Star Encounter (Jeune) who herself was a star on the track, winning the Listed Pinjarra Cup and placing in the WA Oaks, WA Derby and Strickland Stakes on the way to compiling a record of eight wins and seven placings from 30 starts with earnings of $563,090.
Redoute's Choice (Mark Smith)
Her first three foals are all stakes winners. Her first foal Star Exhibit (Statue Of Liberty) is the winner of three stakes races highlighted by the Group II Perth Cup while Perfect Jewels full-sister Royal Star won the Listed Natasha Stakes before finishing second in the WA Oaks.
Star Encounter has an unraced 2yo Statue Of Liberty (USA) filly named Spritely Star and a weanling colt by Dundeel. She was covered by Dundeel again last spring.
In recent months daughters of Redoute’s Choice have produced Vanna Girl, Wu Gok, Trekking, Sacramento, Larimer Street, Cuba, Fasika, Wild Planet, Eperdument, Savatiano, Flit, Toorak Affair and Super Seth.
However, the biggest contributor to the $26,109,842 earned by Redoute’s Choice’s daughters this season has been another Bob Peters homebred, the hugely talented Pierro gelding Regal Power who added the rich All-Star Mile to his haul, which also includes the Group 1 WATC Railway Stakes with seasonal earnings of 3,306,500.
