The full brother to Group I winner and now promising young Coolmore stallion Switzerland, powerful Snitzel colt St Gotthard made it two wins from as many starts when scoring a sparkling victory in the $200,000 Group III Ken Russell Memorial Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Trained by Chris Waller, who also put the polish on his famous older sibling, St Gotthard was well educated at the trials and made a winning debut at Warwick Farm last month.
Sent to Queensland for his first crack at Black Type with James McDonald to ride, St Gotthard made it look all too easy. He settled kindly back in the field before pouncing on the leaders with 150m to run and duly opened up to win by four lengths.
"He's a real classic looking colt and you know from the moment he came into Chris's stable he's really just progressed nicely,” said stable representative Darren Beadman.
"He just takes it all in his stride, he's very professional and he's making a good fist of racetrack performances. It was just nice to see him have another dimension to his racing pattern because he was on speed, but they went quite quick up front and he just settled back behind them and let loose.
"He could've easily lined up in some of the bigger races over the Autumn Carnival but Chris treats them all as individuals and he looks way beyond the moment and it's providing dividends with this horse."
James McDonald won the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on Switzerland and believes St Gotthard also has G1 potential.
“Chris is building with some really good horses and this colt will be no exception,” he said.
"He cost a lot of money and he's got a beautiful temperament. He's got incredible acceleration and he's all class.”
The 174th stakes-winner for Snitzel, 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.
With two wins and over $150,000 from his first two starts, 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 Coolmore Australia last year covering 195 mares and his first foals will be highly anticipated this spring.
.jpg)
