Snitzkraft earns stakes-winning status

Snitzkraft earns stakes-winning status

Snitzkraft earns stakes-winning status

Arrowfield’s Magic Millions “Class of 2016” posted its fifth stakeswinner on Saturday when Snitzkraft landed the $100,000 BRC Falvelon Quality 1050m LR at Doomben.

The 3YO Snitzel colt and pilot Larry Cassidy took no prisoners in the race, spearing straight to the front, kicking clear at the 250-metre mark and finding enough to hold off Flying Spur’s fast-finishing son Irish Constabulary.

Watch Snitzkraft win the BRC Falvelon Quality LR.

It was Snitzraft’s fourth win from 8 starts for his trainers Kelso Wood & Patricia Gesler and took his earnings beyond $220,000. However, his most valuable prize is the wildcard entry to the $1 million Magic Millions Snippets on 13 January.

That race, previously known simply as the Magic Millions Sprint, has been re-named in honour of the inaugural 1987 2YO Classic winner Snippets whose subsequent racing and stud success gave the Magic Millions concept the perfect launch. Snippets stood at Arrowfield from 1994 until his death in January 2002 and is the damsire of Snitzel.

Snitzel now claims 76 lifetime stakeswinners and 18 (including New Zealand Listed winner Untamed Diamond) for the first five months of this season. He has just broken through $14 million on the Australian General Sires’ premiership – only $2.2 million short of his record total for the entire 2016/17 season.

Snitzkraft is the second foal and second winner out of city-winning mare Power O’Raylee (by champion New Zealand sire O’Reilly), also the dam of unraced 2YO colt Proven Power (by Dundeel), a yearling filly by Sizzling and a filly foal by Dundeel. 1978 New Zealand Horse of the Year Uncle Remus, Group winners Cossack Warrior & Cossack Prince and Hong Kong sprinter Happy Zero appear further back in the pedigree.

Snitzkraft joins Champion 2YO colt Invader, Group winners Showtime & Dracarys and Listed winner Pretty Fast to make five stakeswinners, so far, from Arrowfield’s 2016 Magic Millions draft. Unlike the other four horses, Snitzkraft was passed in and so is raced by a group of five owners led by his breeders Mick & Diane Power.