Cover image courtesy of Arrowfield
Snitzel’s sensational start continues with Blitzburg
Snitzel has begun this season with a bang, with Blitzburg becoming his sixth juvenile winner from eight runners so far in 2024/25. Last weekend, Snitzel’s son Return To Conquer won the Listed Counties Challenge S. to become his first stakes winner from his latest 2-year-old crop.
In the juvenile event at Newcastle on Wednesday, it was the two Snitzel colts who dominated the field, travelling well down the straight to put 6l on the rest of the field, with Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou trained Blitzburg holding on to win by 0.37l from Michael Freedman trained Offenbach. Graff colt Telling, trained by Peter Snowden, was third.
“He’s a nice horse going the right way at this stage, he could find himself at Wyong for the Magic Millions race there,” said Alexiou.
“Every time he steps out he improves, and now he’s won at his first start, so hopefully he’ll keep going. I heard they have a good opinion of the second horse too.”
“He’s (Blitzburg) a nice horse going the right way at this stage, he could find himself at Wyong for the Magic Millions race there.” - Sterling Alexiou
The quinella have an interesting connection going all the way back to the beginning. “It’s ironic. Both Blitzburg and Offenbach were born on the same day at Arrowfield, and grew up in the same paddock. Then Gerald (Ryan) told me they were next to each other in the tie-up stalls today, and now have run one-two with not much between them,” said Arrowfield’s Jon Freyer. They were both born on August 24, 2022, and the similarities don’t stop there as both are out of imported mares.
Blitzburg was sold by Arrowfield Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $500,000 to TFI and Ryan and Alexiou Racing. He is the second foal for Sierra (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) who was placed at two in Japan and is a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner Albert Dock (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Listed winner Mina De Oro (Jpn) (Rey De Oro {Jpn}). Their dam is G1 Santa Anita Las Virgenes S. winner Golden Doc A (USA) (Unusual Heat {USA}), who is a full sister to Group 1 winner and sire Unusual Suspect (USA).
Gallery : Image courtesy of Magic Millions
In the same draft, Arrowfield sold Offenbach for $650,000 to Gandharvi and Michael Freedman Racing. He is the fourth foal of Run To The Beat (Can) (Scat Daddy {USA}) whose 4-year-old gelding Robran (Not A Single Doubt) is a winner. Run To The Beat is a winning half-sister to G3 Woodbine Ontario Fashion S. and G3 Whimsical S. winner Southern Ring (Can) (Speightstown {USA}), and is a daughter of dual Listed winner Seeking The Ring (Can) (Seeking The Gold {USA}).
Spirit Of Boom’s La Bella Boom wins the QTIS 2YO at Doomben
Wednesday’s Doomben meeting opened with a QTIS 2YO Handicap over 1200 metres, and it was the Tony Gollan-trained filly La Bella Boom (Spirit Of Boom) who improved from her debut third to win by the tiniest of margins from Clinton Taylor trained Don’tdoubthelady (Dubious). Both fillies now have a record of a win and a placing from two starts, although in reverse order. Third placed Mr Democrat (Better Than Ready) was 6l in arrears of the quinella.
Sold at the Strawberry Hill Stud dispersal in August 2023 as a just turned yearling for $200,000 to Alice Berry, La Bella Boom was offered by Sledmere Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where she sold for $300,000 to a partnership consisting of Tony Gollan, John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) and Blacksoil Bloodstock.
La Bella Boom is the first foal of La Girl (Not A Single Doubt) who was a winner at two and ran fourth in the G3 Ottawa S. La Girl is a half-sister to Moldova (Snitzel), the dam of this season’s good Kiwi 3-year-old Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) who recently won the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas. Fellow G1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel) is also in this family.
La Girl's St Mark's Basilica (Fr) yearling colt is catalogued as Lot 576, offered by Yulong.
Spirit Of Boom, Queensland’s leading sire, now has four winners from his current crop of juveniles including G3 Maribyrnong S.-placed Shining Smile who won last week, and Golden Gift-placed Extractor.
