Wandjina a gallant sixth at Royal Ascot

Almost exactly 12 years after Choisir began the antipodean invasion of Royal Ascot, 3YO colts Brazen Beau & Wandjina carried the Australian flag with distinction in Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes, held over six furlongs on the Straight Course.

Brazen Beau, trained by Chris Waller and ridden by Craig Williams for 38 owners managed by Grant Morgan’s Ontrack Thoroughbreds, raced alone on the near side for much of the race and found plenty to withstand every challenge except that of Undrafted who caught him only in the final strides.

Wandjina, trained by Gai Waterhouse and ridden by Damien Oliver for Edmund & Belinda Bateman, sat just behind the leaders and when the pressure came on up up the rise, he responded generously to finish sixth.

Wandjina (Snitzel-La Bamba by Last Tycoon) was a $1 million purchase from Arrowfield for the Batemans by bloodstock agent James Harron at the 2013 Inglis Easter Sale.

Sent to champion trainer Gai Waterhouse, the bay colt named for spirits of the Aboriginal Dreamtime won the second of his four juvenile starts in Sydney. He has raced only in stakes company ever since, but did not earn black type until last Spring when he was an eye-catching third in the MRC Caulfield Guineas 1600m G1, only 1.3 lengths from Shooting to Win.

Wandjina returned in February to dominate the pace and defy all his rivals in both the VRC CS Hayes S. G3 and the VRC Australian Guineas G1. He signed off on his Australian career with a fighting second in Dissident’s ATC All Aged S. G1 on 18 April, and will stand at Newgate Farm this Spring.

Snitzel joined his sire on the Arrowfield roster in 2006 and is now the sire of 31 stakeswinners, six of them successful at Group 1 level: Shamus Award (Cox Plate & Australian Guineas), Snitzerland (Lightning Stakes), Sweet Idea (The Galaxy), Hot Snitzel (BTC Cup), Sizzling (TJ Smith Stakes) and Wandjina.

In 2013/14 Redoute’s Choice and Snitzel completed an historic 1-2 finish on the Australian General Sires’ Premiership – the first time that has been achieved by a father-son combination.

This year in April Snitzel topped the Inglis Easter Sale for the first time, with not one, but two colts, sold for $2.2 million and $1.8 million.

Redoute’s Choice, Snitzel and his second Arrowfield-based son Not A Single Doubt are all among Australia’s top 10 sires this season, with combined totals of 26 stakeswinners and more than $21 million prizemoney.