Cover image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud
Race-day Recap
Snitzel added another juvenile stakes winner for the season in the Listed Star Way Stakes with Little Black Dress winning in a dramatic finish to remain unbeaten for trainer Stephen Marsh, who quinellaed the race with Lady Iris (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) in second.
Snitzel took his record to 17 2-year-old winners this season when Prestige Snitzel won the Mornington Sires' for trainers David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins by an impressive 2.25l.
I Am Invincible joined the party with 2-year-old colt Navy Pilot coming off his second-last run in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes a fortnight ago to claim a convincing 2l win at Eagle Farm for trainer Ciaron Maher. He is closely related to Anamoe.
Snitzel continued his dominance, this time as a damsire, when trainer Michael Freedman added another juvenile winner for the season with Just A Journey (Justify {USA}) winning at Kembla Grange, who was third on debut behind G1 Champagne Stakes runner Is It Spectacular (Dundeel {NZ}).
Trainer Kelvin Tyler enjoyed the quinella of the juvenile race at Riverton with Four The Moment (NZ) (Proisir) beating stablemate Fourofus (NZ) (Tivaci).
Perfect Sister (Gingerbread Man) was too good on debut at Ascot, winning for trainer Dan Morton.
Little Black Dress adds to Snitzel’s incredible season
Stephen Marsh-trained 2-year-old filly Lady Iris (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) looked to have the Listed Star Way Stakes under control leading by a length with 50 metres to go from her fast-finishing stablemate Little Black Dress (Snitzel) on her outside, when Lady Iris veered out suddenly, knocking into Little Black Dress who kept coming for jockey Wiremu Pinn. Jockey George Rooke straightened Lady Iris but the loss of momentum meant Little Black Dress finished the best to win by 0.2l with the consistent Too Sweet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) only 0.6l away in third.
“It was nice to quinella the race and the winner is a lovely, well-bred filly by Snitzel that Albert (Bosma) and Matt (Allnut) did a great job sourcing, as they didn’t have to pay overs for her and they now have a very valuable stakes winner, who is two from two, on their hands,” said Marsh’s stable representative Dylan Johnson.
"The winner (Little Black Dress) is a lovely, well-bred filly by Snitzel that Albert (Bosma) and Matt (Allnut) did a great job sourcing." - Dylan Johnson
“The second filly has also gained valuable black type and although there is not a lot to her she just fought and fought. There is not a lot more for them so they can go out in the paddock before we get them back in to attack the spring.”
Albert Bosma’s Go Racing purchased Little Black Dress for the relatively good value price of $240,000 from Arrowfield Stud’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft, and she becomes the fourth juvenile stakes winner for Snitzel this season, following G1 Golden Slipper winner Marhoona, G1 Sistema Stakes winner Return To Conquer, and G3 Canonbury Stakes winner Blitzburg. Overall, Little Black Dress is Snitzel’s 61st 2-year-old stakes winner. At the time of the win, Snitzel had 16 individual winners from this crop of 2-year-olds who number 123 foals, but this quickly become 17 with Mornington Sires' winner Prestige Snitzel.
Little Black Dress winning the Listed Star Way Stakes | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Unbeaten in two starts, Little Black Dress is the fifth foal of G3 Ladies Day Vase winner, and G1 SAJC Oaks-placed, Star Fashion (Street Cry {Ire}) who has three other winners. She has no yearling or foal. Star Fashion is the best runner from triple Group 2 winner and Listed Hong Kong Derby winner Elegant Fashion (Danewin), who also produced two other stakes horses and Dezign (Zabeel {NZ}) the dam of Group 1 winner Nimalee (So You Think {NZ}).
Prestige Snitzel adds to impressive season
Owner Eric Yeung is having a wonderful season with the David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins stable as his 2-year-old filly Prestige Snitzel (Snitzel) added to the wins by Prestige Ole (Ole Kirk) and Listed winner Prestige Forever (Ole Kirk) this season. In Saturday’s Mornington Sires, Prestige Snitzel won by 2.25l from filly Toronado Queen (Toronado {Ire}) and colt Casual Ghai (Ghaiyyath {Ire}). Prestige Snitzel becomes the 17th individual 2-year-old winner for Snitzel this season.
“I think she’s a filly that will stay and she could run out to a mile in the spring, so she can have a rest now and we’ll see what the spring brings. We just had to see how much the others had to offer at the testing time, but she was good enough. She’s race savvy and race hard, so she had the advantage,” Brideoake said.
"She’s (Prestige Snitzel) race savvy and race hard, so she had the advantage." - David Brideoake
Fourth in the G3 Ottawa Stakes on debut and third in the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes last start, Prestige Snitzel was purchased by Eric Yeung for $370,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from Silverdale Farm, and he also purchased her yearling half-brother by Stay Inside from them this year for $80,000 via the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Prestige Snitzel winning the Mornington Sires | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Prestige Snitzel is the fourth foal and second winner for G3 Belle of the Turf Stakes winner Imposing Lass (NZ) (Makfi {GB}). Imposing Lass is out of Broodmare of the Year in NZ in 2016/17 Imposingly (Zabeel {NZ}) who produced six stakes winners led by Imposing Lass’s full sister dual NZ Horse of the Year Bonneval (NZ), and full brother Listed Karaka Classic winner The Frontman (NZ).
Imposingly also produced G2 ARC Championship Stakes winner Lord Arthur (Camelot {GB}), G3 Adrian Knox Stakes winner and Group 1-placed Full Of Spirit (Flying Spur), and G3 Manawatu Classic winner Lady Cumquat (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}).
Navy Pilot storms back to form
Trainer Ciaron Maher could easily have sent 2-year-old colt Navy Pilot (I Am Invincible) out for a spell after his disappointing run for second-last in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes, but instead, he sent him north where he set himself up for a Brisbane carnival campaign with a storming 2l victory at Eagle Farm over Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained colt Freddie Bassett (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who was on debut, and Paul Shailer-trained filly On Point Pixie (Heroic Valour).
“The reason he's up here is to get a bit more experience. He's still very green and still learning. Ciaron's got quite an opinion of him, but like he said to me just before the race, bear in mind we haven't done a lot with him. Whatever he's doing, he's doing on ability only,” said stable representative David Lucas.
"Ciaron (Maher)'s got quite an opinion of him (Navy Pilot), but like he said to me just before the race, bear in mind we haven't done a lot with him. Whatever he's doing, he's doing on ability only." - David Lucas
“We looked at a few different races for him but we really wanted to try and get him some black-type so we thought we'd get him up to Queensland. I mean he'll be strong enough in the winter carnival for sure. It's his third start and we've got a win now. He got beaten three lengths in the Sires against probably the best colts in the country so we weren't disappointed.”
Passed in as a yearling, Navy Pilot is raced by Phoenix Thoroughbred, and is a full brother to Group 2 winner Tiz Invincible who is catalogued for the upcoming Inglis Chairman’s Sale. Their dam, winning mare Amuletum (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) is a half-sister to Anamoe and Listed winner Anamba (GB) (Shamardal {USA}).
Their dam, G1 SAJC Australasian Oaks winner Anamato (Redoute's Choice) was originally at stud in Europe where she produced Anamba and Amuletum, then came home to Australia where she added Anamoe and two other winners. She has a yearling colt by Street Boss (USA) making him a full brother to Anamoe. Anamato is a half-sister to G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Drum (Marauding).
Navy Pilot winning the 2-year-old Handicap at Eagle Farm | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Amuletum might have only won once over 2350 metres in England, but she’s continuing the family trend of being a strong broodmare with three winners from three to race including dual Group 2 winner Tiz Invincible, Navy Pilot, and Royal Mule (Kingman {GB}). She has a yearling colt by Aclaim (Ire), who Ciaron Maher and Mailbag Bloodstock purchased for $90,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from Lucas Bloodstock, and a filly foal by I Am Invincible.
Justify filly shows plenty at Kembla
Trainer Michael Freedman won the G1 Golden Slipper with Marhoona (Snitzel) this season, and on Saturday, he unearthed another good juvenile filly with Just A Journey (Justify {USA}) winning at Kembla Grange at her second start. Ridden by Jean Van Overmeire, she won by 0.5l from Ciaron Maher-trained filly Jenni Gone Bonkers (Maurice {Jpn}) with Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained colt Wentworth Falls (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in third. On debut, Just A Journey ran third to Is It Spectacular (Dundeel {NZ}) who ran in Saturday’s G1 Champagne Stakes.
Video: Watch Just A Journey race replay, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Sold by Kia Ora Stud for $400,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to James Bester Bloodstock, Just A Journey is the second foal and second winner for Caravan (Snitzel) who has a colt foal by So You Think (NZ) and her first foal is 4-year-old gelding Damascus Gate (American Pharoah {USA}) who has won five times to date.
A full sister to Group 1 winner and young sire Wild Ruler, Caravan is also a half-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Pavitra (American Pharoah {USA}) with the trio being out of dual Group 2 winner Gypsy Robin (USA) (Dahaar {Can}).
Tyler’s quinella at Riverton
Trainer Kelvin Tyler had one third of the field of the 2-year-old event at Riverton and two of the quartet provided the quinella with Proisir gelding Four The Moment (NZ) beating gelding Fourofus (Tivaci) by 0.1l with a length back to third-placed Terry Kennedy-trained filly Bobby McGee (NZ) (Ancient Spirit {Ger}). Notably, Bobby McGee, along with ninth-placed Marat (NZ) were both on debut and are the first two runners for their first season sire.
Proisir is currently second on the NZ Champion Sire table behind Savabeel, who has an unassailable $3 million lead but Proisir does have seven individual stakes winners to Savabeel’s six. Four The Moment is the first winner from Proisir’s current crop of juveniles.
Four The Moment is the second foal, and first winner, for winning mare It’s Pandemonium (NZ) (Red Giant {USA}) who has a yearling filly by Satono Aladdin (Jpn) and a filly foal by Ancient Spirit (Ger). It's Pandemonium is a half-sister to the incredibly tough 16-race winner and Group 3-placed Flying Sardine (NZ) (Flying Spur), and her second dam is G3 Sixty Sails Handicap winner Princess Polonia (USA) (Danzig {USA}) who is the dam of Group 3 winner Molto Vita (USA) (Carson City {USA}), and ancestress of G1 Hollywood Derby winner Mo Town (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}).
Perfect Sister wins on debut at Ascot
Daniel Morton-trained 2-year-old filly Perfect Sister (Gingerbread Man) blitzed the track at Ascot, winning the 1000 metre juvenile event in 0:58.61 to just win by 0.08l from Neville Parnham-trained colt Statewide (Tassort) with Meryl Hayley-trained Deltason (I’m All The Talk) 0.5l back in third. The trio made the best of the quick pace set by early front running filly Blow Me Kisses (Zousain) who was swamped on the line and ended up in fourth.
Video: Watch Perfect Sister's race replay, video courtesy of Racing WA
On debut, Perfect Sister becomes the first winner from Gingerbread Man’s current crop of 2-year-olds which is his second largest crop with 42 foals (his largest being his 3-year-olds of which there are 46). The son of Shamardal (USA) has seven stakes winners from earlier crops.
Raced by Greenfields Lodge, and despite the name Perfect Sister is not anyone’s sister, being the first winner for Corrilya (Blackfriars), a half-sister to R.Listed Magic Millions Perth 2YO Classic winner Cadenza (Oratorio) and Listed Boulder Cup-placed Major Mambo (War Chant {USA}). This is the family of triple Group 1 winner and sire Barely A Moment.
