Snitzel - History Maker and Record Breaker
Arrowfield's all-conquering Champion Sire Snitzel has made breaking records his dedicated profession.
He swept past his own Australian season earnings record back in February and is about to claim his second consecutive Australian General Sires' Premiership with a staggering total of more than $29 million. He also retains the 2YO Sires' and 3YO Sires' titles he won last season.
Snitzel
Snitzel's progeny have won almost twice the prizemoney of his nearest rivals I Am Invincible, and two-time champion sire Fastnet Rock, who have compiled outstanding seasons with career-best earnings in Australia. Despite that, they both fell short of Snitzel's record 2016/17 prizemoney of $16.2 million.
The sensational son of Redoute's Choice also tops the 2017/18 table by winners, wins and stakeswinners with 26 horses successful in Group & Listed company. That repeats his achievement with eight crops of racing age in 2016/17 and again equals Danehill's record, set with nine crops of racing age in 2001/02.
However, Snitzel's tally of 43 Australian stakes victories this season is a record he holds on his own, ahead of the previous mark of 36 stakes wins set by Danehill in 2004/05.
The quality of the performances put up by Snitzel's best domestic performers this season is impressive. Eighteen (69%) of the 26 are Group winners, with a standout performer in each age category: 2YO Estijaab, 3YO Trapeze Artist, 4YO Russian Revolution & 5YO Redzel. This quartet won six Group 1 races, the multiple winner being Trapeze Artist, successful against his own age group in the ATC Golden Rose G1, and then beating the older sprinters at weight-for-age in the ATC TJ Smith S. G1 and ATC All Aged S. G1.
With nine winners in the past seven days, Woodside Park's Written Tycoon has his foot to the floor as we race towards the end of the season which will see him sire more winners than he ever has before.
Record breaking Australian first season sire ZOUSTAR, part-owned by Qatar Racing, will stand at Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire for the 2019 breeding season.
From maiden to Group 1 winner in the space of six weeks, the rising young star The Autumn Sun kept his unbeaten record intact in Saturday's $600,000 Group 1 JJ Atkins Plate (1600m) at Doomben.
The last words from Hall of Fame trainer John Hawkes to Brenton Avdulla were to emulate the feats of Todman, Vain and Manikato in leading a Golden Slipper from go to whoa as a flying Estijaab channelled some of Australia's sprinting greats in the $3.5 million scamper.
