Arrowfield celebrates a Golden 2023
Shinzo (navy silks, left) takes control of the 2023 Golden Slipper G1, giving multiple Champion Sire Snitzel his 6th 2YO Group 1 winner. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Major Group One 2YO victories by Snitzel’s son Shinzo and Dundeel’s son Militarize head Arrowfield’s year of notable achievement on the track, in the ring, at the stable and on the farm.
Shinzo’s outstanding Golden Slipper G1 victory earned him Australia’s Champion 2YO award for 2022/23, and top billing on Timeform’s 2YO list with a figure of 120. His leadership of the Australian 2YO Classification was shared with Sires’ Produce & Champagne Stakes winner Militarize who franked his class with victory in September’s Golden Rose S. G1.
Arrowfield had many other causes for celebration throughout 2023 as the month-by-month summary below makes clear.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who enjoyed racetrack and sale-ring success with Arrowfield-sired and Arrowfield-bred & -sold horses in 2023, and warmest good wishes for a prosperous and excitement-filled 2024!
JANUARY
Arrowfield’s all-time record Magic Millions average price of $318,571 is achieved across 49 lots sold, with a top price of $1.1 million paid by Michael Hickmott & Douglas Whyte for the Snitzel-Super Cash colt.
Tasmanian summer racing produces stakes wins for the Dundeel-sired pair The Inevitable and Dunkel.
Sumptuary (Snitzel-Royal Tithe) wins on debut for Paul Messara and the Arrowfield Training Centre.
Young Arrowfielder Lachie Bruce takes up the HTBA Scholarship to the Irish National Stud’s famous Thoroughbred Breeding Management program.
FEBRUARY
Arrowfield sells 41 yearlings for $2.9 million at Inglis Classic – top price of $200,000 is achieved for two colts by The Autumn Sun and the Written Tycoon-Tuudelu colt.
Farm graduates Soul Choice (Redoute’s Choice-Thislilsoulofmine) & Recommendation (Shalaa-Adviso) win three stakes races, in Melbourne & Tasmania.
Akasawa (Real Impact-Forest City Girl) wins the $150,000 Hunter & NWRA Country Championships Qualifier at Tamworth for Paul & the Training Centre.
MARCH
Champion 2YO Shinzo, raced by Coolmore & partners and trained by Chris Waller, becomes Snitzel’s 2nd & the 12th Arrowfield-connected Golden Slipper G1 winner.
Arrowfield sale graduates Autumn Ballet (The Autumn Sun-Grisi), Bank Maur (Maurice-Banksia) & Dashing Legend (Snitzel-Kneeling) all win stakes races in Canberra, Melbourne & Sydney.
Battlespace (Pariah-Lady Echelon), Valoria (Maurice-Bacarella) & Florino (Mikki Isle-Flowerchild) are new winners for Paul & the Training Centre.
APRIL
Arrowfield is the #1 vendor by aggregate at Inglis Easter for the 8th time in the last 9 years – with 57 lots sold for $22.8 million, the Stud’s all-time 2nd-highest Easter aggregate.
Results include five $1 million+ sales and a top price of $1.5 million for the Snitzel-Ms Bad Behavior colt.
Dundeel’s son Militarize nails the G1 Sires’ Produce/Champagne S. double for Newgate Farm & partners and Champion trainer Chris Waller.
Arrowfield farm & sale graduates compile a three-state stakes-winning treble: Giga Kick (Scissor Kick-Rekindled Applause; foaled & raised for owner-breeder Jonathan Munz) wins the All-Aged S. G1 in Sydney, Jennilala (Shalaa-Rosarian) wins the Auraria S. G3 in Adelaide & Waltz On By (I Am Invincible-Stay With Me) wins the Bendigo Guineas LR in Victoria.
MAY
Dunkel becomes Dundeel’s 7th Group 1 winner after winning the South Australian Derby G1 and Giga Kick wins the Doomben 10,000 G1.
Winners for Paul & Arrowfield’s home stable include 2YO filly Miracle Of Love (Dundeel-Miss Finland), stakes-placed on debut at Scone, then a winner at Doomben, and Randwick winner Demitasse (Shalaa-Teaspoon).
Jess Hood wins the Hunter Valley Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s Employee of the Year (Leadership) Award.
John Messara is inducted to the Hunter & Newcastle Racing Hall of Fame.
JUNE
Sale graduates Petronius (Redoute’s Choice-Cat By The Tale) and 3YOs Namesake (Maurice-Banksia) & Noah ‘N’ A Deel (Maurice-Double Deel) all win Listed Races at Eagle Farm.
Miracle Of Love is 2nd in the JJ Atkins S. G1.
JULY
Snitzel wins his 4th Australian 2YO Sires’ Premiership with 15 juvenile winners including G1 winner Shinzo, G3 winners Amur & Empire Of Japan and Listed winner Hip Hip Hurrah.
Redoute’s Choice wins his 4th Broodmare Sires’ title with an all-time record $32.3 million prizemoney & 12 stakeswinners headed by multiple Group 1 winner Anamoe.
Maurice tops the 3rd Season Sires’ table with total earnings of $10.7 million and 5 stakeswinners.
Scissor Kick heads the 3YO Sires’ list with $9.8 million prizemoney, largely earned by 2022 Everest winner Giga Kick.
AUGUST
Autumn Ballet wins her 2nd Group race, the Silver Shadow S. G2.
The Arrowfield Stallion Open House attracts 900+ visitors over two days and parades new stallion, three-time Group 1 Classic winner Hitotsu (Maurice-Love Is Fickle) for the first time.
Paul Messara’s solo training career concludes with 501 wins and a winning strike rate of 22%.
Harrison Everett joins the 2023-2025 intake of Godolphin Flying Start trainees.
And Jess Hood does us proud, competing in the Inglis & Magic Millions Stud Cutting Challenge.
SEPTEMBER
Militarize wins his third Group 1 race, the $1 million Golden Rose Stakes.
Arrowfield home-bred Remarque (Snitzel-Response) defeats In Secret, Bella Nipotina, Eduardo & Nature Strip to win the $1 million Concorde S. G3 from the Hawkes Racing stable.
Graduate Ganbare (Maurice-Mardi) wins the Dulcify S. LR for Dodmark Thoroughbreds and Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott; and Kevin & Vikki Payne’s filly Tutta La Vita (The Autumn Sun-Negotiate) is 3rd in the Flight S. G1.
Leah Gavranich joins Paul Messara in a training partnership which proceeds to build a 34% winning strike rate from their first 50 starts.
Rediener claims the $1.5 million Epsom H. G1 for Neil Werrett, Max Whitby & Chris Waller to become the 40th Group 1 winner for Redoute’s Choice.
Arrowfield-breds Let It Be (with his rider Makaylah Fenwick also sponsored by Arrowfield), Pheidippides, Rainbow Man, Recriminate & Perfect Match all compete with distinction at the inaugural Equimillion; while Dellingr (Not A Single Doubt-Gesemi) wins his Eventing class & Dealtadeel (Dundeel-Passiflora) wins his Show Horse class.
OCTOBER
Graduate Autumn Angel (The Autumn Sun-Angel Of Mercy), Sunsets & Doull give The Autumn Sun, Dundeel & Snitzel a memorable Group race treble on Cup Day at Caulfield.
Graduate Muramasa (Deep Impact-Omei Sword) wins the Coongy Cup G3 for the Busuttin & Young stable, Ozzie Kheir, John O’Neill & partners.
Snitzel’s Chris Waller-trained daughter Vienna Princess wins the $1 million Silver Eagle on Everest Day at Randwick.
NOVEMBER
Champion sprinter Ortensia’s grand-daughter Genzano (Maurice-Infiorata) gives Leah Gavranich her first stakeswinner as a trainer when she wins the Newcastle 3YO Spring Classic G3.
Muramasa wins the Queen Elizabeth S. G3 at Flemington.
Graduate Wild Planet (Animal Kingdom-Salutations) scores the richest win of his 7-season, 41-start $1.5 million career, the $750,000 Rosehill Cup.
Shinzo is named Australia’s Champion 2YO of 2022/23, and Giga Kick wins the Champion 3YO & Champion Sprinter awards.
DECEMBER
Graduates Recommendation & Katsu (Mikki Isle-Zing And Swing) win Listed Races at Randwick and Flemington.
Snitzel closes out the year with a trio of December stakeswinners: 3YOs Serasana (Sandown Guineas G2) & Royal Tribute (Gosford Guineas LR) and 4YO Zenzella, victorious in the Lord S. LR at Caulfield. Royal Tribute, now heading to the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas RL, is the 140th stakeswinner of Snitzel’s stellar career.
