Group race treble heads Snitzel’s stunning day
Arrowfield Magic Millions-sold & Bennett Racing-purchased Baraqiel and Ben Allen had the Ian McEwen S. G2 won a long way from home, scoring in class record time of 1:09.13. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Champion sire Snitzel has compiled many outstanding single raceday results, but in the 19th season of his incredible stud career, Cox Plate Day 2024 is undoubtedly one of his best.
Arrowfield graduates Baraqiel & Bittercreek at The Valley and Prost at Randwick all posted Group race victories, with Baraqiel becoming Snitzel’s third new stakeswinner in 8 days, after Lofty Arch (Gothic S. LR) & Saint Emilion (Geelong Classic LR).
They take Snitzel’s lifetime tally of stakeswinners to 151 and 41 of them have emerged from his 2018-2021 crops at a rate of 10.8% Stakeswinners/Runners.
Snitzel’s Group-winning treble on Cox Plate day at The Valley & Randwick
That Group-winning treble was backed up by contributions from Manos, Love Poem & Makarena – all bred & sold by Arrowfield and placed in the Brian Crowley S. LR, New Zealand’s Soliloquy S. G2 & the $2 million feature The Invitation.
And for good measure, Snitzel’s 2022 crop also chipped in, posting two debut 2YO winners, Storm Front for Tony Pike at Ellerslie and Godolphin’s colt Comedy at Randwick.
A $150,000 buy from Arrowfield’s 2018 Magic Millions draft, Baraqiel’s superlative victory in the $300,000 MVRC Ian McEwen S. 1200m G2 rewards the patient care he has received from his Bennett Racing owners and trainers Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin, through various setbacks that delayed his debut until last May.
He has quickly made up for lost time with six wins and $413,000 prizemoney from 8 starts and bigger prizes now beckon including the $3 million Champions Sprint G1 at Flemington on 9 November, and the $1 million Meteorite at Cranbourne a fortnight later.
“Baraqiel has absolutely tanked up on the outside.”
He makes a mess of them in the McEwen Stakes 🚀 @MaluaRacing @bennallen44 pic.twitter.com/g0im68BA1W
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 26, 2024
Bred by Arrowfield & Northern Farm, Baraqiel (ex Angel of Mercy by Hussonet) is a three-quarter brother of Australian Oaks G1 winner Autumn Angel and two other winners. Angel Of Mercy has two daughters by The Autumn Sun, 3YO Stolen Summer & 2YO Kindred Spirit that are yet to race, plus a yearling colt by Maurice and a colt foal by Hitotsu. She returns to Snitzel this Spring.
Baraqiel’s 3YO stablemate Bittercreek (out of the fine producer Rose Of Cimmaron by Bite The Bullet) was a $375,000 Malua Bloodstock & Baystone Farm purchase at Magic Millions from Arrowfield as agent for breeder Belinda Bateman. He has raced exclusively and very consistently in Pattern company, earning black type at his February debut, before victory in the Champagne Classic G2 and a runner-up finish behind Broadsiding in the J.J. Atkins S. G1.
Bittercreek can now triple his $574,000 prizemoney in the premier 3YO sprint of the Spring, next Saturday’s $2 million Coolmore Stud S. G1 on the opening day of Cup Week at Flemington.
3YO colt Prost delivered on the promise he showed as a Group-winning juvenile with a resolute victory in the $1 million Callander-Presnell 1600m G2. Co-trainer Adrian Bott indicated the colt may now spell before a campaign aimed at the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas RL and the Randwick Guineas G1.
Bred by Gerry Harvey and sold by Baramul Stud at Magic Millions for $650,000, Prost (ex Samarmeteors by Northern Meteor) is a three-quarter brother of Champion 2YO Shinzo and multiple stakeswinner Exhilarates, both out of dual Group 1 winner Samaready. He has now earned $850,000 for his owners headed by TFI & Kia Ora, and the Waterhouse & Bott stable.
Snitzel’s spectacular $1.2 million day takes his season earnings past $5.8 million thanks largely to 9 stakeswinners, including Arrowfield graduate Lady Shenandoah (Flight S. G1), 5 other Group winners, and 9 other stakes performers.
