Sweet week for Snitzel

On Saturday his 2YO daughter Sweetener became the ninth stakes performer by Snitzel this season when she finished an excellent third in the fillies’ edition of the MRC Blue Diamond Prelude G3.

Pictured: Sweetener, from the immediate family of champion 2YO Arazi and Group 1 winner Noverre, photographed by Katrina Partridge as a yearling at Arrowfield Stud, March 2011.

Sweetener was a $50,000 purchase by trainer Mark Kavanagh from the Arrowfield draft at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Sale, and is raced by Mark’s wife Isobel and son Levi. The wryly-named filly (she’s from the Red Ransom mare Negotiate) joins a livewire group of current Snitzel juveniles headed by debut winners Amorino, Flying Snitzel & Sizzling (also stakes-placed) and the debut stakes placegetters No Smoken & Snitzerland.

In South Africa on Sunday Snitzel’s 3YO son Unannounced extended his unbeaten record when winning the Scottsville Marula Sprint – his sixth straight victory for trainer Charles Laird and owners Mr & Mrs Markus Jooste.

And at this evening’s opening session of Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale it took the top price of $240,000 to secure the Snitzel colt from Diamonds and Dust (by Charnwood Forest).

Offered by Oakland Park Stud, the colt was knocked down to local bloodstock agent Damien Wyer who outbid Melbourne-based bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington to buy him.

“He was in our opinion the colt of the sale,” Wyer said afterwards. “He had a great walk, had good x-rays and we were keen to buy him.”

With 66% winners-to-runners, Snitzel is proving to be an outstanding transmitter of his own precocious, high-class speed and is already the sire of 16 stakes performers from three crops of racing age, including the Group 2 winners Hot Snitzel, Salade & Chance Bye.

There are 11 yearlings by Snitzel on offer at the upcoming Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, including 5 colts from Bellerive Stud – which sold Snitzerland and Flying Snitzel a year ago.