Pedigree Picks with Mike Rennie – 21 June, 2019

Free Fallen’ is a 2yo gelding by Sacred Falls bought for $130,000 from the 2018 Inglis Classic yearling sale ($130,000AUD). Now residing in Singapore, he was quietly ridden in both trials and debuts tonight in the IRT juvenile stakes open 2yo (race 3).

Bred by the stud, he is out of the Zabeel mare Hooked Ona Feeling, presenting the same cross as Shoshone who won impressively on debut at Ellerslie. The Sacred Falls/Zabeel nick is currently ‘one for one’ and naturally we have a lot of confidence in it going forward. Zabeel is a phenomenal influence (obviously) while O’Reilly and Redoute’s Choice (Sacred Falls damsire) are incredibly versatile and have a potent affinity with Zabeel. The stats read 76% winners and 5% stakes winners to runners with O’Reilly while Redoute’s Choice averages out at 78% winners and 9% stakes winners to runners.

In Free Fallen’s pedigree, we also see Danehill 4 x 4 via his sons Redoute’s Choice and Danasinga. Linebreeding to Danehill is a contentious issue but for me (in my personal viewpoint) the momentum does seem to be shifting for the better over the last two seasons; think Alizee, Sunlight, Seabrook, Verry Elleegant and Danzdanzdance to name some of the Group 1 winners. I know there are a huge amount out there linebred to him and arguments could be made the other way. For me, some sons seem more compatible than others and Redoute’s Choice certainly seems one of those which bodes well for our new stallion Ardrossan.