Snitzel two-for-two in Japan

Snitzel stood only one season at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, in 2007 but the resulting crop of current two-year-olds could hardly have made a bigger impact than his first two runners, the fillies Rurinigana and Floreal.

Both of them have not only won, but have won impressively on debut. Rurinigana (ex Dame Compagnie by Kingmambo) won over 1000 metres on Saturday at the newly renovated Hakodate Racecourse. Competing in a quality JRA turf event for newcomers, she broke 58 seconds and won by one-and-a-half lengths, with four lengths back to the third horse.

Rurinigana is trained by Daishi Ito for her owner and breeder Kawashima Bokujo.

It was a convincing follow-up to the brilliant performance of Snitzel’s first Japanese-bred runner, Floreal (ex Floreana by Dance in the Dark) who won a 1200-metre race at Monbetsu by eight lengths on 26 May.

Such a strong start by his Japanese runners won’t surprise anyone who’s followed Snitzel’s success in Australia this season. With eight first-crop winners of 14 races, he’s second on the First Season Sires’ list with earnings of more than $1 million. His daughter Chance Bye (ex Rouge Femme by Red Ransom; bred by Torryburn Stud) put herself among the season’s leading juvenile fillies, with three wins from four starts including the STC Silver Slipper S. G2.

Among Snitzel’s other performers are the stakes-placed winner Jypsiere, and two-time winners Intertidal, Sheila’s Star, One More Grand and Bouzy Rouge.

Snitzel stands at Arrowfield in 2010 at a fee of $27,500 inc. GST.