Impeccably-bred two-year-old Wales proved the omen and class bet when he scored an upset debut win in the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes at Caulfield.
The youngster was the only runner by Redoute’s Choice, after whom the race was named, in Saturday’s 1200-metre feature and is the second foal from Valkyrie Diva, a half-sister to three-time Melbourne Cup champion Makybe Diva.
One of three debutants in the race for leviathan owner Lloyd Williams, his wife Suzie and their son Nick, Wales was ridden by Steven King and had to survive a protest from the rider of second-placed Dominant for alleged interference over the last 300 metres.
Despite his blue-blood pedigree, Wales was an alarming market drifter from $12 to $21 and scored by a long neck from the Matt Laurie-trained debutant Dominant ($9.50), ridden by Andrew Mallyon.
Favourite Maury ($3) was vetted before the start and allowed to run but jockey Danny Nikolic said the Patinack Farm-owned gelding, who had won his last two starts, raced flat and he finished 2-1/2 lengths away third.
King said Wales would only get better with racing and predicted a bright future for the youngster who was a $310,000 yearling.
“He just didn’t know what to do when he got to the front,” King said.
“Lloyd’s horses spend most of their time at the farm so they can be a bit new when they get to the races for the first time but he’s a nice type.”
Wales’ three-year-old full-brother Compass, trained by Gai Waterhouse, cost $600,000 and has already won twice at Newcastle and Canterbury and most recently at his fourth race start was unplaced in the Group Two Tulloch Stakes (2000m).
Wales’ stablemates Vine, ridden by Eddie Cassar, and Berkshire, ridden by Jake Noonan, who are both by Encosta De Lago, finished second last and last respectively in Saturday’s 10-horse race.
Vine, a $240,000 yearling, is a half-brother to Doomben Cup winner Sarrera while Berkshire, the most expensive of the trio cost $650,000 and is a brother to Group One Thousand Guineas winner Mnemosyne.
