Royally-bred Snitzel gelding Remarque scored a remarkable win in Saturday’s $1,000,000 Group III Concorde Stakes (1100m) at Randwick in what may be a changing of the guard in the sprinting ranks.
Ridden by Tyler Schiller for Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes, Remarque contested the lead with Eduardo and Shelby Sixtysix and, despite being no closer than three wide, was the last man standing.
Although running about in the closing stages, Remarque defeated In Secret (I Am Invincible) by a short-neck, with Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) a long-head back in third.
Crowd favourite, 9-time Group 1 winner and $20,765,008 earner, Nature Strip finished sixth and was immediately retired.
Remarkably, it was the first stakes win for Remarque, advancing his record to five wins and two thirds from 12 starts with earnings of $989,750.
“Plans are there to be made and hatched, and his trials have been great,” Michael Hawkes said.
“We’re just extremely happy that the horse has come back bigger, stronger, better. He’s had his ups and downs, been gelded, and had a throat operation.
“He’s just an elite horse. Obviously, he's first-up today, and he’s taking on the likes of Nature Strip and Eduardo, but things happen. You put him in the right races, you get them going in the right direction and it’s onwards and upwards. It was good.
“He’s not there in the coat yet either, he’s just going to improve out of sight. Even Clare my wife said ‘isn’t the way that horse gets shod they always win?’ and I said ‘listen, let’s just make it happen’”
“I actually thought James (McDonald on Nature Strip) might take the sit behind us. I didn’t expect Shelby Sixtysix to be up there and amongst them, a cat amongst the pigeons. It shows the quality of this horse and credit to Tyler (Schiller) he got him into a rhythm and that was the key to get him into a rhythm to keep him breathing. He’s in for a great prep that’s for sure.
“The big one’s there (The Everest), of course you’re interested. If you’re not interested you’re mad. But with us it’s all about our horses. Obviously next step is the Shorts for him and we’re heading in that direction and there’s probably a lot of other people out there looking at him as well. If it happens, it happens. But you know what, we’ve got to train the horse and that’s what we’re here to do.”
Remarque races for his breeders, Arrowfield Stud and Katsumi Yoshida.
The son of Snitzel is a brother to Golden Slipper winner Estijaab out of the Charge Forward mare Response, winner of the Group I Robert Sangster Stakes and Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
Consigned to the 2015 National Broodmare Sale, Katsumi Yoshida purchased Response for $1.5 million.
She was carrying the $1.7 million filly Estijaab at the time of her sale.
Tom Magnier paid $2,250,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for Congregation, a brother to Remarque and another brother was knocked down to Kia Ora Stud / TFI at Easter earlier this year.
After foaling a colt by The Autumn Sun last spring, Response resumed her love affair with Snitzel.
Remarque is the 136th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud’s champion stallion Snitzel.
