The Season of Snitzel

Tara Madgwick - Monday July 31
It's the last day of the Australian racing season and if we've learned one thing in the past 12 months it's that Snitzel has well and truly stepped out of the shadow of his champion sire Redoute's Choice.

Whatever way you look at it Snitzel has had a remarkable season and will finish as Champion Australian Sire by earnings, winners and stakes-winners as well as champion 2YO Sire and 3YO Sire.

Arrowfield Stud have provided the following key statistics:

  • 29 winners of 36 Group & Listed Races worldwide – inc. 9 2YO SW
  • 26 winners of 31 G&L Races in Australia 
  • 5 Group 1 winners: INVADER, REDZEL & RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (Australia), SUMMER PASSAGE (New Zealand) & HEAVENLY BLUE (South Africa).
  • Leading Sire by Aggregate at the Magic Millions ($13.9 million) & Inglis Easter ($21.0 million) Sales
  • Five $1 million+ yearlings, top price $1.7 million (achieved twice at Inglis Easter)
  • In all, 111 yearlings sold for $41.7 million (Average Price: $375,732).

Snitzel has made history with five special achievements in 2017:

  • Equalling Danehill's single-season record of 26 Australian stakeswinners;
  • Setting a new Australian record for stallion prizemoney in a season $16.1 million
  • Siring the first Australian Group 1 2YO trifecta since 1982 (Invader, Summer Passage & Trapeze Artist in the 2017 ATC Inglis Sires' Produce S. G1);
  • Claiming sole ownership of the Australian-sired 2YO winners record, with a season tally of 35 
  • Completing an unprecedented three-generation sequence of Champion Australian Sires: Danehill (9 titles), Redoute's Choice (2006, 2010, 2014) & Snitzel (2017).

SnitzelSnitzel stands at Arrowfield Stud this spring and will doubtless be fully booked at a fee of $176,000, so for many broodmare owners the search is now on to find just which of his sire sons will be the one to make him as a sire of sires.

There are plenty of candidates to choose from, although his two Group I winning colts from this season –Invader and Russian Revolution– are slated to race on in 2017/ 2018.

Snitzel's Group I winning sons Shamus Award (Cox Plate, Australian Guineas) for Widden Stud and Sizzling (BRC TJ Smith) for Newgate Farm will both have their first two year-old runners in the spring.

Australian Guineas winner Wandjina (Newgate Farm) will have his first yearlings on sale in 2018 as will the ill-fated Time for War, who died after just two seasons at stud.

His Group II winning son Spill the Beans (Aquis Farm)was the busiest first season sire in Australia last spring, so will have plentiful babes born this spring, while new to the mix are Group III winner Sooboog, replacing Time for War at Kitchwin Hills and Group III winner Odyssey Moon, who retires to Twin Hills Stud.

The first son of Snitzel to stud was in fact Group II winner Salade, who has had limited opportunity and stands at Kingstar Farm.

From two small first crops totalling just 18 foals that are two and three year-olds, Salade has had three winners and two place-getters from seven runners.


Advertisment
More Reading...
Capitalist 2YO Wins for Doyle
Nathan Doyle and his team would be bubbling with excitement surrounding the return of their unbeaten G1 star Private Harry, but as they say ‘little fish are sweet’ and the stable were in the winner’s circle at Wyong on Tuesday with a two year-old son of Capitalist.
Nice 2YO Winner for Vinery Value Sire
He might be the least expensive sire on the Vinery roster this spring at a fee of just $6,600, but Headwater gets his share of winners and produced a new two year-old winner at Doomben on Wednesday.
Snitzel's Away Game Sizzles to Massive Payday in MM Classic
Luke Currie won a second The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) in three years when emerging filly Away Game stunned her rivals in Saturday’s $2 million contest at the Gold Coast.
Future Looks Bright for Excess
Corumbene Stud's George Altomonte was impressed enough by Julius Sandhu's handing of Group II MRC Rubiton Stakes winner Lofty Strike to entrust the Cranbourne-based trainer with the full-sister Excess and was rewarded with a debut win at Cranbourne on Thursday.
Irish Oaks Possible for Royal Ascot Fairytale Filly
The biggest story in terms of our audience reads from Royal Ascot last week was by far and away the one on the Aussie owned underdog three year-old filly Cercene, who captured the Group I Coronation Stakes.
One to Watch – Wyong
The juvenile maiden at Wyong on Tuesday had some interesting runners including the highest price yearling by Maurice (Jpn) sold in 2024 and he did take the win, but it was not without drama.
Raging Force Bolts in at Randwick
Cosmic Force 2YO Raging Force was sent around in the Group III ATC Breeder’s Plate on debut last spring finishing sixth to King Kirk and coming out of the race with an injury, but time and a patient approach has put his career back on track.
Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man – Shinzo Rises to Golden Slipper Triumph
Widely regarded as the most open Golden Slipper for years, the $5million high octane dash at Rosehill on Saturday delivered drama and delight as champion trainer Chris Waller collected his first Golden Slipper trophy with a homebred colt for Coolmore trained to the minute.
Two $1.4million Colts by Snitzel
Champion stallion Snitzel is rocking the Inglis sales ring.
$2.2 Million Daughter of Snitzel Sets a New Mark for a Filly
Snitzel hit another home run when Arrowfield Stud’s filly from the Group 1 Willian Reid Stakes winner Silent Sedition set a new benchmark for a filly when knocked down to Hawkes Racing for $2,200,000.