Arrowfield Stud’s much missed champion sire Snitzel has blazed back to his brilliant best this season and one driver of that success has been a vintage crop of juveniles which has so far produced nine winners and an astonishing seven of them are stakes-winners and four of those are premium colts.
Snitzel’s seven stakes-winners come from a crop of 110 foals conceived in 2022 when Snitzel had a fee increase back to $220,000 after two years at $165,000 which followed on from his two previous $220,000 years in 2018 and 2019.
Snitzel’s seven 2YO stakes-winners this season are as follows : G1 Campione D’Italia, Fireball, G3 St Gotthard, Aurum Belle, Liguria (NZ), SW The Next Episode, Zafar (NZ).
Four of these colts have designs on stud careers in the future, but they are not there yet and winning a lone G1 at two that is not the Golden Slipper, does not make you a lay down misere for stud success.
Sizzling ( BRC JJA Atkins) and Invader (ATC Sires Produce) were both G1 winning sons of Snitzel at two and neither have been able to achieve long term commercial success.
As they say it takes more than one swallow to make a summer and for the colts below they will need to be ‘game on’ next season as they look to consolidate and enhance their standing with the lure of a lucrative stud career at stake.
So who would you pick to be the standout when we are sitting here in 12 months time?
Campione D’Italia - $500,000 Magic Millions purchase for Newgate/ China Horse Club and partners.
Trained by Chris Waller and goes to the paddock off a last start second in the G1 ATC Champagne Stakes after winning the G1 ATC Sires Produce Stakes.
Fireball - $460,000 Inglis Easter purchase for James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership / Tony Fung Colts.
Trained by Chris Waller and goes to the paddock with a win over stablemate Campione D’Italia in the G1 ATC Champagne Stakes.
St Gotthard - $2.7million Inglis Easter purchase for Tom Magnier, so runs for the Coolmore partners and carries the colours of Marc Chan.
Trained by Chris Waller and has been late to the party with two starts for two wins and bolted in with G3 Ken Russell Classic at the Gold Coast last Saturday.
The Next Episode - $2.8million Magic Millions purchase for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and runs for an ownership group that does include Widden Stud, who bred and sold him.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and was unplaced on debut in $1million ATC Golden Gift last spring, however that was no guide and has looked good in three starts this prep with super impressive last start win in the Listed BRC Dalrello Stakes.
