Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday November 26

The ATC Champagne Stakes and Rosehill Guineas hero Castelvecchio will be a tough act to follow for Centro Storico who begins her own journey in Saturday's De Bortoli Wines Hcp (1100m) for two-year-olds at Rosehill on Saturday.

Like Castelvecchio, Centro Storico will carry the white, red disc, green sleeves and cap silks of Ottavio Gallette and trained by Richard Litt.

The daughter of Snitzel was a $410,000 purchase by Galletta Construction out of the Glastonbury Farms draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Centro Storico was a $410,000 Magic Millions yearling

That is a tidy sum however it is well short of the $1.9 million Ottavio Galletta outlaid for the sales-topping colt Deep Impact colt out of the Group III ATC Widden Stakes winner Honesty Prevails, that has been named Profondo.

Centro Storico is the first foal of the Medaglia d'Oro (USA) mare Chachapoyas whose seven-start career was highlighted by a win in a 1600 metre maiden at Gosford and a second to The Barrister in the Listed Fernhill Stakes at Randwick.

Racing in the colours of Godolphin, Chachapoyas went through the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale ring in 2016 where she was knocked down to Jadeskye Racing/Amarina Farm for $360,000.

Earlier this year Chachapoyas was purchased by Cunningham Thoroughbreds/BRT Bloodstock for $460,000 when carrying a full-sister to Centro Storico.

Chachapoyas is a half-sister to the Group III winner Aramayo (Poet's Voice) and the stakes-placed Tupac Amaru (Street Cry) both of whom came close to winning at the highest level.

After winning the Group III Spring Stakes at Newcastle, Aramayo was edged out by Maid Of Heaven in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.

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Tupac Amaru was beaten less than half a length when second to Criterion in the Group 1 ATC Australian Derby.

The dam of Chachapoyas, the unraced Diktat mare Peruvian is a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and excellent stallion In The Wings as well as Group II winners Morozov and Hunting Hawk and the Group III winner Hawker's News. They are all by Sadler's Wells out of the Group 1 winner High Hawk (Shirley Heights).

The granddam of High Hawk, Pantoufle, is a half-sister to Pretty Polly Stakes winner Place D'Etoile who became a top-class broodmare.

She is the dam of Italian Oaks winner Paris Royal and Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Northern Treasure, whose life was tragically cut short after two seasons at Newhaven Park Stud.

Snitzel finds himself in a very unusual position on the General Sires List. The 4-time Champion is currently in 13th spot, but that does not tell the full story.

Only Written Tycoon and I Am Invincible have sired more stakes-winners than Snitzel's six to date this season.

They have just not been winning the big money races, which Centro Storico may change should she add her name to the mix for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic with a win on debut on Saturday.

Snitzel has sired the last two MM 2yo Classic winners Away Game and Exhilarates. Can he make it three?

 
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