Trapeze Artist vs Menari – Is There Much Difference?

Before last Saturday's Golden Rose, Menari was the colt every stud was chasing while his stablemate Trapeze Artist was seen as being a rung below, but a closer look at their race records and pedigrees would indicate there is not a great deal between the two sons of champion sire Snitzel in terms of sire prospect appeal.

Sale Ring

Trapeze Artist was offered at Inglis Easter by his breeder Bert Vieira, but passed in shy of his $300,000 reserve so was retained to race, while Menari was never offered and retained to race by his breeder George Altomonte of Corumbene Stud.

Race Record – At Two

Both colts won on debut, but Trapeze Artist was the only one of the pair to win a stakes race at two.

Trapeze Artist started five times at two and won the Group III Canberra Black Opal Stakes before finishing sixth in the Golden Slipper and fourth in the Group I ATC Sires Produces Stakes.

Menari started five times at two and won once before finishing second in the Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes, fifth in the Group II ATC Todman Stakes and fourth in the Golden Slipper before finishing 11^th in the Sires Produce.

Race Record – At Three

Both colts have had three starts to date.

Trapeze Artist was sixth in the Group III ATC Up and Coming stakes, fourth in the Group II ATC Stan Fox Stakes and then was brilliant in winning the $1million Group I ATC Golden Rose.

Menari won the Listed ATC Rosebud and the Group II ATC Run to the Rose before finishing third in the Golden Rose.

Menari has had eight starts in total for three wins and two placings with prizemoney of $619,050, while Trapeze Artist has had eight starts for three wins and one placing with prizemoney of $957,750.

Pedigree

Both colts have top class female families with loads of Black Type and the sort of diverse pedigrees that make them highly appealing to broodmare owners.

First three dam sires for Menari are General Nediym, Whiskey Road (USA) and Baguette, his family featuring multiple Group I winning champion Tie the Knot.

First three dam sires for Trapeze Artist are Domesday, Bletchingly and Le Cordonnier, while his fourth dam is Golden Slipper winner Fairy Walk.

The competition among the leading studs to secure Menari has been well documented, but for those who miss out on that one, Trapeze Artist is going to look very appealing as a Group winning juvenile and now a Group I winning three year-old sprinter by the reigning champion sire.

Images Steve Hart