Arrowfield’s best moments in a milestone season
A peak moment in a year of many achievements: Snitzel's scintillating son Redzel was at his powerhouse best in the inaugural $10 million The Everest. (PHOTO: Sportpix)
It’s no easy task to choose the 10 – make that 11 – best moments from a milestone season in Arrowfield’s 33-year history, but here’s a spirited attempt, in chronological order:
Pariah at Rosehill, 26 August 2017
Team Arrowfield was busy hosting their annual Stallion Open House, and gathered around the marquee TV to watch star colt Pariah run in the ATC San Domenico S. G3. Arrowfield had bought back into Pariah after his Group-winning 2YO campaign for James Harron & partners, and his sparkling 3YO debut was greeted with jubilation. A year later Pariah has joined the Redoute’s Choice dynasty at Arrowfield and will parade at the Open House, 24-26 August.
Watch the Arrowfield team cheer Pariah home in the San Domenico S. G3.
Redzel at Randwick, 14 October 2017
The Everest was an instant hit with owners, trainers, punters, media, racegoers and that elusive beast, the general public. Redzel launched the race with a classic demonstration of unyielding powerhouse Aussie speed and sparked exuberant celebrations by his Triple Crown owners, slot-holder James Harron & partners and the Snowden stable. Snitzel had already established a decent lead on the General Sires’ list, but after The Everest he shot clear by $6.6 million and was not sighted by his rivals for the rest of the season.
Not A Single Doubt’s big day, 14 October 2017
Everest Day turned out to be huge for Not A Single Doubt too. Upset Caulfield Guineas G1 winner Mighty Boss, Group 3 winner Cool Passion and Listed winners Qafila and Torvill gave him the first quadruple stakes day of his career – and all four horses were new stakeswinners. Not A Single Doubt ended a tremendous year with a career-high season tally of 16 stakeswinners and 6th spot on the Australian Premiership, his fourth top 10 finish.
Caulfield Cup quinella, 21 October 2017
He started at 50/1 and she was 30/1 – neither given any serious chance of beating horses like Humidor, Johannes Vermeer, Bonneval and Harlem in the $3 million Caulfield Cup G1. But no-one conveyed that message to Flying Spur’s son Boom Time or Not A Single Doubt’s daughter Single Gaze, and home they rolled, for the season’s most unexpected Group 1 quinella. It was also the perfect sign-off for Champion Sire Flying Spur, who died at Arrowfield in May, at the age of 25.
Shoals at Flemington, 4 November 2017
Late on 16 August 2014, John Messara shared a photo of the newborn Fastnet Rock-The Broken Shore filly with the prediction that she would be a star. Three years later the filly, named Shoals, fulfilled that prophecy with an exhilarating victory in the VRC Myer Classic G1 for her owner-breeders Arrowfield and Jonathan Munz’s Pinecliff Racing, and trainer Anthony Freedman. Further success in the ATC Surround S. G1 and SAJC Robert Sangster S. G1 stamped Shoals as an exceptional talent worthy of The Star’s slot in this season’s running of The Everest.
Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, 10-14 January 2018
Arrowfield ended the record-breaking Sale with its all-time highest Magic Millions aggregate of $14.1 million, heading the Vendor list for the third successive year. Arrowfield’s $1.8 million Snitzel-Flidais filly was the Sale’s and her sire’s top-priced filly, and Snitzel led the Magic Million Sires table for the first time with 33 lots sold at an average price of $483,788. The Stud also sold the 75th million-dollar yearling by Redoute’s Choice and the $600,000 Olympic Glory-Downtown Manhattan colt.
The Golden Slipper, Rosehill, 24 March 2018
Snitzerland was 2nd in 2012, Sweet Idea was 3rd in 2013 and then along came Estijaab to add that precious first Golden Slipper victory to Snitzel’s progeny record – and the 7th by an Arrowfield graduate. Bred by Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm, raised and sold by Arrowfield, bought at Inglis Easter by Emirates Park and Bryan Carlson for $1.7 million and trained by Team Hawkes, Estijaab was the perfect poster girl for Arrowfield’s much admired “A Diamond is Forever” marketing campaign.
Irukandji wins for Dundeel, Rosehill, 31 March 2018
A first-crop 2YO Group winner is always on the wish-list for a young sire and Spendthrift Farm’s Hawkes-trained colt Irukandji came through for Dundeel with a convincing victory in the ATC T.L. Baillieu S. G3. Irukandji has been a headliner from the start, as a $240,000 weanling, and $500,000 pin-hook result at Magic Millions, and there may be more headlines to come – he is nominated for the ATC Golden Rose G1 on 22 September.
The T.J. Smith G1 quinella, Randwick, 7 April 2018
Snitzel posted two Group 1 quinellas in 2017/18 and both were among the season’s most thrilling finishes. Russian Revolution and Snitty Kitty were terrific in the Oakleigh Plate, but 3YO Trapeze Artist’s performance to launch from a wide run and sweep past a top-of-his-game Redzel in the $2.5 million T.J. Smith was of seldom-seen quality. A return match in The Everest this October is something to savour.
Inglis Easter Sale, Sydney,
9-11 April 2018
Arrowfield celebrated the first Easter Sale held at the new Riverside Stables at Warwick Farm with a rarely achieved double: the highest aggregate (just over $20 million) and the highest average ($488,658). Leading vendor status for the fourth consecutive year, the top-priced $2.3 million brother to Shoals and 7 other million-dollar yearlings – including two daughters of Deep Impact – sealed an outstanding sales season for the Stud’s dedicated team and many very happy clients.
The Autumn Sun, Doomben,
9 June 2018
A Redoute’s Choice colt opened the best of Arrowfield’s season and a Redoute’s Choice colt closed it when The Autumn Sun drew clear of Zousain in the BRC J.J. Atkins Plate G1, becoming his mighty sire’s 33rd Group 1 winner, and his 9th Group 1 2YO winner. Another exciting prospect for 2018/19, The Autumn Sun capped a fine year for Arrowfield’s joint venture with the Aga Khan Studs, which also sold his three-quarter sister for $1.3 million at Inglis Easter.
