Snitzel filly nabs Light Fingers Stakes
Snitzel’s blazing hot summer continued at Randwick on Saturday when his daughter Perignon became his 35th stakeswinner, and third stakeswinner since 24 January, in the $175,000 ATC Light Fingers S. 1200m G2.
It was a well-deserved success for the 3YO filly who has chased Speak Fondly home three times in Group company, as a juvenile and in last Spring’s Furious S. G2 and Flight S. G1. This time, she showed the benefit of further development since her Spring campaign by making up several lengths in the straight to catch Kangarilla Joy and Tempt Me Not, and score a thrilling win.
Jockey Tim Clark said of Perignon, “A classy filly. First up against a couple of race fit horses was always going to be a tough ask, but I was really happy when I found Hughie’s back [Hugh Bowman, on Kangarilla Joy] down the side. I just wanted to hold onto her for as long as I could and fortunately we timed it right and got there in the end.”
Perignon takes her trainer Gerald Ryan’s record of success with Snitzel’s progeny to nine stakeswinners, all of them except Dances On Stars & Fireworks bred & sold by Arrowfield: Snitzerland (VRC Lightning S. G1), Group 2 winners Flying Snitzel, Hot Snitzel (who later won the BTC Cup for Peter & Paul Snowden), Perignon & Time For War; Group 3 winners Dances On Stars, Fireworks and Spill The Beans; & Listed winner Ygritte.
Perignon was bred by the Arrowfield-Jungle Pocket partnership, also repsonsible for Group 1 winners Sweet Idea, Hot Snitzel, Reaan & Weekend Hussler. She was a $350,000 Ryan purchase for owners Camilla Flower & Sylvana Surace from Arrowfield’s 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast draft.
Perignon’s dam is the Japanese-bred mare Last Blaze, a daughter of Narita Brian and Melbourne Group 2 winner Rubidium. Last Blaze’s four earlier foals, two by Snitzel and two Not A Single Doubt, have all won including Perignon’s sister, the Group-placed city winner Hollyweird, also trained by Gerald Ryan.
Now owned by Oakland Park Stud, Last Blaze has a colt among the 24 Snitzel yearlings to be offered at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale later ths month.
Snitzel’s latest run of black type success began with Sun Jewellery’s Hong Kong Classic Mile HK-1 victory on 24 January and continued with last Saturday’s ATC Eskimo Prince S. G3 win by Spill The Beans. With fresh talent such as China Dream (third in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Prelude G3) emerging each week, Snitzel’s Autumn attack is only beginning.
