More than likely another stallion stall will be cleaned out at Arrowfield Stud to house the progressive colt Alabama Express who became the first three-year-old since All Too Hard in 2013 to claim the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, a race won 20 years ago by his legendary sire Redoute's Choice.
The lightly raced, Michael Moroney-trained, colt had little go right for him in the run. Michael Dee took his medicine and had Alabama Express travelling sweetly despite being held out three wide by Dean Yendall on Scales Of Justice. But when that multiple Group 1 son of Not A Single Doubt was going backwards after receiving a check, Alabama Express was a menacing presence at the top of the straight.
He stayed on strongly to defeat the fast-finishing Deep Impact entire Fierce Impact (JPN) by a neck with the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes hero Kings Will Dream (IRE) a short-head back in third.
“All credit to this tough bloke, he was caught three-wide without cover from a wide barrier and gee he is tough,’ Dee said.
“Thanks to Mike and (part-owner) Rupert Leigh for staying loyal to me.”
It was the 50th Group 1 winner for Michael Moroney.
“When he was out spelling we made a plan to bring him back for this race as his Group 1 chance.
“We knew when he came out of the 3yo race down the straight (the Coolmore Stud Stakes) that if things had gone our way he would have been right in the finish. Things didn’t go our way so we had to grin and bear it.
“He has come back better and stronger and has become really professional now.
“He is just a lovely, lovely colt, he is more like dad than any horse I have seen and he did what his dad did (won the Orr Stakes in 2000).
“He had the toughest run in the race and still won. When I saw he couldn’t get in I thought it was game over but it wasn’t and he did what he did.
“He’s a very valuable colt now and we are well aware of that so we will have to think what we do now. We may run in something like the Newmarket Handicap because he has enough speed.”
Bred by GSA Bloodstock, Alabama Express advances his record to 4 wins and 1 second from 7 starts with earnings of $534,750.
A $280,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Arrowfield draft for Paul Moroney Bloodstock, Alabama Express is raced by a group of high profile owners which includes Arrowfield Stud.
The son of Redoute’s Choice is the best of three winners out of the Encosta De Lago mare Lago Ovation, who died in 2017. Alabama Express is her final foal.
When covered by Redoute’s Choice, Lago Ovation’s granddam Rekindled Affair (IRE) produced the gifted Rekindled Interest the winner of the Group II MVRC Dato` Tan Chin Nam Stakes and Group II MVRC AAMI Vase
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