Arrowfield’s 12 Special Spring Moments
Pariah's outstanding first foals, including this alert filly out of Desert Flower, generated plenty of smiles around the Hunter Valley this Spring. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
With a quarter of the 2019/20 season done & dusted and Summer racing heading our way, it’s time to look back at Arrowfield’s 12 extra-special Spring moments, in date order:
1. Pariah’s first foals make a splash
6 August, Bhima Thoroughbreds – Pariah’s first crop foals bounce into the world, beginning with a bay colt out of Amerindia bred by Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock and described by Bhima’s Mike Fleming as “one of the best maiden foals I have seen in a very long time.” Little more than a fortnight later, he stars at Arrowfield’s Stallion Open House, along with Arrowfield’s first Pariah foal, a lively filly out of Desert Flower (by Animal Kingdom), born on 11 August.
2. A red carpet welcome for three new stars
23 August, Arrowfield – five-time Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun, Deep Impact’s international Group 1 winner Real Steel & Snitzel’s son, the Group-winning sprinter-miler Showtime get the phone cameras clicking at Arrowfield’s Open House.
3. “The little engine that could” steams into the Spring
24 August, Randwick – minutes after parading for Saturday’s Open House crowd, Not A Single Doubt posts his 11th Group 1 winner when Samadoubt defies his 30/1 odds to win the weight-for-age Winx S. G1 for Darby Racing & Bjorn Baker. A week later Scales Of Justice repeats the message in the Spring’s second Group 1 feature, the Memsie S. G1. Bred by Gerard & Kathy Hammond and previously a Group 1 winner in Perth, the 7YO has earned $2.1 million for owners Chris Wells & Bill Andrews & trainer Lindsey Smith who bought him with the help of agent Craig Rounsefell.
4. An interstate treble in 40 minutes
7 September, Randwick & The Valley– it looks so easy when Champion Sprinter Redzel (Concorde S. G3) & Exhilarates (Atlantic Jewel S. LR) kick up for Snitzel, and The Inevitable (Chandler Macleod S. LR) does it for Dundeel.
5. New graduate stakeswinner
14 September, Flemington– bred by Greg & Barb Ingham, 3YO Snowden-trained Snitzel filly Wayupinthesky wins the Cap d’Antibes S. LR. She’s one of 54 stakeswinners to come out of Arrowfield yearling drafts since 2013.
6. Double success at the 2019 Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards
10 October, Hobart – The Autumn Sun is named Champion 3YO Colt after unforgettable victories in the Golden Rose, Caulfield, Randwick & Rosehill Guineas and Snitzel receives the Champion Sire Award, becoming the first sire since Danehill to win three Australian stallion premierships in a row. (And yes, we know that Danehill won three, and then six!).
View the slideshow: Arrowfield’s Special Spring Moments
7. Third consecutive Caulfield Guineas
12 October, Caulfield – after Mighty Boss (by Not A Single Doubt) in 2017 and home-bred The Autumn Sun (by Redoute’s Choice) in 2018, Pinecliff Racing’s Super Seth dropped from the clouds to land the 2019 Caulfield Guineas G1. He’s Dundeel’s 4th Group 1 winner and Arrowfield’s 17th Group 1-winning yearling sale graduate since 2013. Scott Brunton’s Tassie hero The Inevitable capped a huge day with victory in the $500,000 Silver Eagle at Randwick.
8. Class never dies
19 October, Caulfield – Redoute’s Choice left this world in March 2019, but his extraordinary story continues with his 167th stakeswinner, Gothic S. LR winner Alabama Express. The colt is trained by Michael Moroney and was purchased by brother Paul from Arrowfield’s Class of 2018.
9. Cox Plate quinella for Japan & Australia
26 October, Moonee Valley– it just seems right, given the long relationship between Northern Farm & Arrowfield, that star mare Japanese mare Lys Gracieux & Arrowfield graduate Castelvecchio (raced by Ottavio & Wendy Galletta & trained by Richard Litt) should quinella the Cox Plate G1. Three other major Spring Group 1 wins by Fierce Impact and Mer de Glace drive home the point: Japanese horses are good enough to win any big race they aim at, anywhere in the world.
10. The future begins…
28 October, at Arrowfield’s Sales Centre – the first Arrowfield yearlings by Horse of the Year Maurice, Champion Sprinter-Miler Mikki Isle & Champion 2YO Colt Shalaa begin their Magic Millions 2020 sale preparation.
11. An international stakes treble
2 & 3 November – Samizdat in Perth for Gangemi Thoroughbreds, and Southern Legend in Hong Kong for Bon Ho & Caspar Fownes make up Not A Single Doubt’s weekend Group double. Arrowfield-bred-&-sold Atyaab (by Dundeel) chimes in from South Africa with a Listed win at Turffontein for Sheikh Hamdan and Mike de Kock.
12. A heart-stopping finish
5 November, Flemington – Snitzel’s 92nd stakeswinner, the Brad Widdup-trained Akari gives James McDonald a thrilling ride to claim the Desirable S. LR in the very last stride. It’s the Arrowfield-sold filly’s second stakes win of the season after the Reginald Allen H. LR at Randwick on 19 October.
