Splintex Brings Up The Ton for Snitzel

Mark Smith - Saturday April 11

After current leader Pierro quinelled the Listed Fernhill Mile, Snitzel has countered with a quickfire two stakes-winners at Randwick, Away Game in the Group II Percy Sykes Stakes and the progressive Splintex, who had the honour of becoming his champion sire’s 100th stakes-winner, with a hard-fought win in the Group II Arrowfield Sprint (1200m).

Ridden by Robbie Dolan for trainer Mark Newnham, Splintex hit the front at the 300 metres but he came under pressure when Godolphin’s Group 1 winning Medaglia d’Oro (USA) filly Flit gained a rails run.

It looked like Flit may have done enough to get the nod but the judge found a nose margin to Splintex. The Fastnet Rock filly Anaheed was one and a quarter lengths back in third.Splintex Robbie Dolan images Steve Hart

Carrying the colours of his breeders Geoff and Mary Grimish, Splintex advances his record to 4 wins and 3 thirds from 8 starts with earnings of $352,750.

“That was terrific,” Newnham said.

“He hadn’t been and won at the 1200m yet so I had my heart in my mouth the last few strides, but he’s just a really good genuine horse and I think he has been a bit underestimated.

“His fours win before today had all come in Saturday company, we tested him a little bit stronger in Melbourne and it all went wrong.

“They had a lot of rain on the day, but we freshened him up and looked at this race and now he is a Group II winner and he’s still a colt.”

Dolan said he was not sure he got the bob in at the finish.

Advertisement

“That means a lot to us,” he said.

“I have ridden him since he was a very young horse and I have always believed in him along the way. It’s just unbelievable to ride him in a big race like this today, and then to win it is a fairy tale.

“Flit is very long. That is one thing I noticed just after the line, I thought gee she is longer than I am, but thankfully my fella just stuck his nose out in the right spot. I’m over the moon, delighted.”

Splintex is the third winner from as many to race out of the top-class O’Reilly mare Acquired whose two previous winners are the stakes-placed winners Invictus Salute (Exceed and Excel) and Acqume (Sepoy).

A 7-time winner and runner-up in the Group II BRC Dane Ripper Stakes, Acquired is a half-sister to Coolmore’s exceptional broodmare Hips Don’t Lie (Stravinsky) whose Golden Slipper-placed daughter Lake Geneva had an American Pharoah filly sell for $450,000 at the recent Easter Yearling Sale, while Hips Don’t Lie’s Fastnet Rock colt was passed in short of his $1,000,000 reserve.

Purchased for $430,000 at the 2011 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to support the recently retired Shellscrape, Acquired was sold to Highgrove Stud for $450,000 at last year’s Chairman’s Sale when carrying a filly by Not A Single Doubt who sadly died after birth.

Acquired was bred back to The Autumn Sun last spring.

Advertisment

Race Result - Arrowfield Sprint Gr2 1200m

Randwick Track: Heavy(8) Time: 1:12.37
1
Splintex
- 3c Snitzel (AUS) x Acquired (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Mark Newnham Rdr: R Dolan 56.5
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale $1,300,000
Seller: Highgrove Stud, Darling Downs, Qld
Buyer: Yu Long Investments
2
0.1
Flit
- 3f Medaglia D'Oro (USA) x Glissade (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Rachel King 54.5
3
1.4
Anaheed
- 3f Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Rostova (AUS) (Testa Rossa (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: Tim Clark 54.5
Fastnet Rock
4
2.3
Hawker Hurricane
- 3g Deep Field (AUS) x Bernarsini (AUS) (Bernardini (USA))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: O P Bosson 56.5
5
2.6
Eleven Eleven
- 3g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Smokin' Alice (USA) (Smoke Glacken (USA))
Tnr: G D Hickman Rdr: N Rawiller 56.5
6
3.2
True Detective
- 3g Shamus Award (AUS) x Girls Rule (AUS) (Geiger Counter (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: G Schofield 56.5
7
3.4
Cosmic Force
- 3c Deep Field (AUS) x Little Zeta (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: J B Mc Donald 56.5
8
4.4
Dawn Passage
- 3c Dawn Approach (IRE) x Raja Lane (AUS) (Devaraja (NZ))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: A Hyeronimus 56.5
9
6.4
Human Nature
- 3g All Too Hard (AUS) x Tiarazou (AUS) (Zizou (AUS))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: S Clipperton 56.5
10
11.3
California Zimbol
- 3f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Zimaretto (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: B Avdulla 54.5
More Reading...
New Winner for Bivouac
Godolphin have been  enjoying a winning run with their late season juveniles and it continued at Geelong on Thursday where Bivouac gelding Loving opened his account.
Another Day, Another Stakes-Winner for Wootton Bassett
A homebred for Marc Chan, quality Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Green Impact closed out his juvenile season winning the Group II Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and he bounced back into the winner’s list at the same venue overnight.
Sires With Winners - Friday June 6
Here is the full list of 31 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Inglis Ready 2 Race Entries Open
Entries for the Inglis Ready2Race Sale – Australasia’s most progressive 2YO Sale – are now open.
Second Stakes Win for Snitzel's Splintex
Since winning the Group II Arrowfield Sprint at Randwick 12 months ago, the Mark Newnham-trained Splintex has fallen short in six starts against some of the best sprinters in training.
SWs in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel headline the June (Early) Online Sale
Stakes winners in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel, along with a significant number of young, well-bred racing and breeding prospects headline another intriguing catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
North Pacific 2YO Ready to Win
Byerley Park trainer Steven Cole will head to Ellerslie with a quartet of runners on Saturday, and he is particularly upbeat about the chances of Pacific Breeze in the Network Visuals 1200.
A Passion That Lasts a Lifetime
A passion for pedigrees and thoroughbreds is often one that lasts a lifetime and so it has been for one of the co-breeders of Bravery, who contacted me this week following our earlier and very well read story on current 2YO star Cool Archie.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday that featured some interesting winners including stakes-placed filly Horseshoe Hill, a couple of unraced youngsters by Zoustar and the highest priced yearling by Prague.
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 5
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.