Schiffer & Top Drop extend Ryan’s record with Snitzel
Leading trainer Gerald Ryan makes no secret of his admiration for Snitzel , Arrowfield Stud’s high-class son of Redoute’s Choice that he trained to win seven races, including the MRC Oakleigh Plate G1.
He’s now establishing himself as the go-to trainer for Snitzel’s progeny, and underlined that today with strong wins at Randwick by his Gold Coast Magic Millions prospects, 2YO filly Schiffer and 3YO colt Top Drop.
Co-incidentally, they both won three weeks after filling the runner-up positions in their respective Wyong Magic Millions races, and are now second favourites for the two major Magic Millions events on 15 January.
Pictured above: 2YO filly Schiffer defeats favourite Benfica at Randwick today.
Top Drop posted his second win for owners Scott & Mrs H Cameron, Wayne Harrison, Norm & Carolyn Pinder, A M & Mrs K L Pinder, D N Pinder & the Bradley Racing Syndicate in today’s $70,000 BM85 event over 1400 metres. Bred by Peter Horwitz and purchased for $110,000 from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2009 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, Top Drop’s five placings include a second in September’s AJC Stan Fox S. G2.
Gerald Ryan has trained all three of Snitzel’s 2YO winners this season, and Schiffer proved the equal of Saramenha and Hot Snitzel when she overcame a wide draw and the favourite Benfica to win by 0.75 length over 1200 metres at Randwick today.
Schiffer’s rapid progress from her debut second to the winner’s circle firmly franks the quality of the Wyong winner, the brilliant Karuta Queen (by Not A Single Doubt ), who heads the Order of Entry for the $2 million BMW Magic Millions 2YO Classic on 15 January.
Ryan bought the Snitzel-Modave filly for $240,000 from the Arrowfield draft at the 2010 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on behalf of owners Damion Flower’s Jadeskye Syndicate, Elio & Jacqui Galante and George Macdonald. Damion Flower and his wife Camilla also raced Snitzel, while Elio Galante enjoyed international success with champion sprinter Scenic Blast.
Ryan confirmed to Racing & Sports that Schiffer will now head to a re-match with Karuta Queen on 15 January.
“Magic Millions is the plan,” Ryan said.
“I am really happy with where she is sitting. She is eating her feed, she is strong and hopefully we’ll get to the Gold Coast on one piece and she will be thereabouts.”
Bred by the Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd & Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd, Schiffer is from the outstanding family developed by New Zealand breeder Jim Barlow. Her dam Modave (by Montjeu) is an unraced sister to G1 Sharvasti and half-sister to Group 3 winners Bhandara and Shastri, from the family of dual Australian Group 2 winner Linton.
There’s a strong Magic Millions flavour in the pedigree too. Schiffer’s grand-dam is the Group 1-placed stakeswinner Vedodara, whose four wins included the 1994 WRC Magic Millions Classic; and Vedodara’s half-sister G2 winner Balmacara left 2004 GCTC Magic Millions 3YO Trophy LR winner Jamieson Valley.
Schiffer’s half-brother by Danzero is Lot 135 in the Bellerive draft at the 2011 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. Modave foaled a filly by Flying Spur this season, and is in foal again to Snitzel.
There are 21 lots by Snitzel catalogued in Sessions 1-6 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, seven of them in
Fifteen yearlings by Not A Single Doubt, including Arrowfield’s colt from Tennessee Sunrise, are catalogued for the six sessions of the Magic Millions Sale.
