The full brother to Group I winner and now promising young Coolmore stallion Switzerland, powerful Snitzel colt St Gotthard made a winning debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Trained by Chris Waller, who also put the polish on his famous older sibling, St Gotthard has been given a good education at the trials and with James McDonald to ride was sent off as favourite for the 2YO colts and geldings maiden over 1200m.
He sat outside the leader and let down with a challenge turning for home and then responded well under pressure to hold a long neck advantage over late finishing Zoustar colt Peyton, who had the advantage of race fitness and experience.
The Waller stable is renowned for producing quality juveniles at this time of year that often progress to the Brisbane Winter Carnival and beyond with St Gotthard possibly on that trajectory.
“He did everything right, which was good. They went steady through the mid-stages and it was a good, solid sprint home,” Waller said.
“The second horse is pretty handy and put out a good challenge and it was good to see St Gotthard strong late. He'll take good improvement from it and it was a good debut.
“It's great to get horses up to Queensland, but if the weather holds here in Sydney, we can keep them here too. You can win a Saturday race in Sydney for $160,000, and then with a BOB’s bonus is it's almost equal to a Listed race in Queensland.
“Here's the main centre of attention for now, but obviously you've got the G1 JJ Atkins if we get up that far and in the next few weeks we'll be letting go some good two year-olds.”
James McDonald won the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on Switzerland and believes St Gotthard has stakes potential.
“Very talented horse, he's been very well educated and handled at home. He was in foreign territory there, being the outside leader and left in front a long way from home and he just felt like he floated a little bit, but he's got plenty of talent and it's a beautiful horse going forward,” he said.
“Anything he does, he does with ease and he’s got a nice nature. He's the full package.”
St Gotthard was a $2.7million Inglis Easter purchase for Tom Magnier from Arrowfield Stud and runs for Coolmore and partners including Hong Kong investor Marc Chan in whose colours he runs.
St Gotthard is the third foal to race and third winner from imported Group winner Ms Bad Behavior (Can), who is proving an exceptional producer for Arrowfield Stud.
Arrowfield sold the current yearling from Ms Bad Behavior, another colt by Snitzel, at Inglis Easter this year for $2million to James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership / Tony Fung Colts / Tom Magnier.
The first four foals from Ms Bad Behavior are all colts by Snitzel that have sold for a total of $6.75million and she produced another colt by Snitzel last year before being covered by The Autumn Sun.
St Gotthard’s big brother Switzerland was super popular at Coolmroe Australia last year covering 195 mares at a fee of $60,500 and his first foals will be highly anticipated this spring.
