Off the back of three jump out victories, the Mark Walker trained Samudra (Snitzel), the first foal of dual Group 1 winner Pippie (Written Tycoon) defeated I'mateez, the Capitalist half-brother to ten-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in Wednesday's Thoroughbred Club of Australia Handicap (1000m) on the Sandown Hillside track.
Owned by TFI and Kia Ora Stud W S, Samudra jumped away well under Ben Melham from barrier three where she went forward to take up the running.
Similarly marked like her dam and also displaying a near identical racing pattern, Samudra maintained her lead with the Ben, Will & JD Hayes trained Street Boss gelding Latin Boss sticking close on her outside.
Starting at odds of 20/1, the Lofty Thoroughbred Group and AGR Racing yearling purchase I'mateez tracked Samudra in the run and when the field came into the home straight, the Alex Rae trained gelding pulled to the outside of the leading duo to make his run.
Although Samudra looked under pressure a long way from home, she responded well under the urgings of Melham to hold off the late charge of I'mateez with a little under a half-length separating the pair on the line.
With Pippie also commencing her race career with victory, the future looks bright for her flashy chestnut daughter.
"She was under a lot of pressure, but she really dug deep and found. Probably going forward she's going to be a better chaser than a leader," he said.
"You would've thought she was all done at the 100 metres, but mum's natural ability obviously kicked in.
"Really thankful to Kia Ora and TFI for having this lovely filly in the stable."
Keen to send her out to come back and as a 3yo, Walker feels that with the win under her belt followed by a break, connections will have a nice prospect when she returns.
"I'll have a chat to Luke (Wilkinson)," he said.
"If we can just put her away now, cuddle her a bit through this period of time, I think she'll make a really nice three-year-old."
A graduate of the 2017 Inglis Classic yearling sale when knocked down for $60,000 from the draft of Queensland’s Eureka Stud, the John and Chirs Meagher trained Pippie was a three-time black type winner highlighted by success in the Group 1 MRC Oakleigh Plate and the Group 1 MVRC AJ Moir Stakes.
Sold at the 2021 Inglis Chairman’s Sale to Tasman Bloodstock for $1.8m, Pippie’s first foal Samudra was sold via the Inglis Easter yearling sale draft of Cressfield to David Ellis CNZM for $775,000.
Pippie’s current yearling, a filly by I Am Invincible was sold at this year’s Inglis Easter to Champions Farm and Satomi Oka Bloodstock (FBAA) for $1.4m. The mare went back to Yarraman Park’s Champion sire the following season where she produced a colt before she unfortunately passed away in November 2024.
One of 13 individual 2yo winners so far this season in Australia for Snitzel, highlighted by Golden Slipper heroine Marhoona and the impressive last start Group 3 winner Beadman, the Arrowfield Stud based sire will stand at a fee of $247,500 (inc. GST) in the spring.
