Australian juvenile stakes racing started with a bang on Saturday in Sydney and Melbourne with new stakes-winners for Snitzel, Zoustar and Exceed and Excel.
The Group II ATC Breeders’ Plate (1000m) went to handsome Snitzel colt Empire of Japan, who is a brother-in-blood to Group II winner Menari and also a full brother to infamous Mount Fuji, who topped Inglis Easter in 2019 selling for $2.8million and amounted to little. This colt was bought for $680,000 and looks value at the price, read about him here.
He was one of two stakes-winners on the day for Snitzel, sire also of Williamsburg, and his dam-sire General Nediym also had two stakes-winners as he is also sire of the dam of G1 Epsom winner Ellsberg, who is bred on the same cross being by a son of Snitzel in Spill the Beans.
The Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) went to fast finishing Zoustar filly Platinum Jubilee, a half-sister to this season and last season’s Group winning filly Queen of the Ball, read about her here.
She is bred on the exact same Zoustar x Fastnet Rock cross as G1 Flight Stakes winner Zougotcha, who gave Zoustar a stakes double for the day.
The Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial (1000m) went to Godolphin homebred Exceed and Excel colt Zulfiqar, the first foal born at Darley in 2020, read about him here.
Zulfiqar was one of two new stakes-winners at Flemington for Exceed and Excel, who also sired Excelida to win the G2 Rose of Kingston Stakes. He is bred on a very successful nick with daughters of Elusive Quality producing 11 SW’s by Exceed and Excel from 57 runners at a 19% SW to runner strike rate with multiple Group I winner Guelph the best of them.
