Snitzel colt books a Blue Diamond berth

Snitzel colt books a Blue Diamond berth

A wet sail finish by Sun Bloodstock’s colt Prairie Fire has given Snitzel his second consecutive VRC Talindert S. 1100m LR winner (after Ducimus in 2017), and his 21st Australian stakeswinner this season.

The win also booked Prairie Fire’s spot in next Saturday’s $1.5 million MRC Blue Diamond S. G1, with bookmakers assessing him as an $8 chance for that race.

Prairie Fire came into the Talindert off a good debut third in Group 3 company at Caulfield on 5 February. This time he settled midfield with cover, before Mark Zahra urged him forward at the 300-metre mark. The colt responded generously and sustained his run down the middle of the track, defeating Khulaasa and Invincible Lad in 1:03.48. 

Watch Prairie Fire win the VRC Talindert S. LR.

Bred by Ed & Clark McKeon’s Palya Bloodstock, Prairie Fire was purchased for $625,000 from the Rosemont Stud draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.

Prairie Fire is the second foal and first winner out of the unraced mare Consistency (by All Bar One), a half-sister to Monte Rosa, dam of Snitzel stars Snitzerland and Sooboog. Consistency has a yearling colt by Wandjina, a filly foal by So You Thnk and is in foal to Redoute’s Choice.

Snitzel has notched up 79 lifetime stakeswinners, and 31 (39%) of them have earned black type at two. After breaking his own season earnings record last week, his 2017/18 prizemoney is now less than $200,000 away from $17 million, a figure never previously seen on the Australian sires’ premiership. 

Snitzel’s stakes success rate so far this season indicates that he has not finished setting records. Remarkably, he’s compiled 29 stakes victories (including one each in New Zealand & South Africa) in the first 29 weeks of 2017/18. That sets a pace Snitzel is well-equipped to maintain, with the likes of juveniles Prairie Fire, Sandbar &  Estijaab, 3YOs Menari, Showtime & Trapeze Artist and sprint star Redzel contesting Autumn features.

Snitzel has eight colts on offer at the upcoming Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, while next month’s Inglis Easter catalogue features 64 yearlings by Snitzel, including 8 fillies and two colts in Arrowfield’s draft.