Snitzel celebrates milestones with a stakes double
Empire Of Japan (2nd from right, red cap with logo) charges to the lead in the ATC Arrowfield Breeders' Plate G3, becoming Snitzel's 125th stakeswinner. (PHOTO: Martin King/Sportpix)
Not content with notching up a pair of significant numbers in Saturday’s $200,000 ATC Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate 1000m G3, Snitzel swiftly added a second Randwick stakes win to his record.
2YO colt Empire Of Japan became Snitzel’s 125th stakeswinner and the Breeders’ Plate is the 250th stakes win of the champion sire’s exceptional career. He did it with a quality debut performance that earned him a Timeform rating of 109, higher than the last three winners of the race.
He is also the first son of Snitzel to win the race which Snitzel himself won on debut in 2004. The great son of Redoute’s Choice now boasts a career total of 48 juvenile stakeswinners.
“The colt is ripping clear for a spectactular Breeders’ Plate success.”
Empire Of Japan takes out the opening 2yo race of the season, the @SnowdenRacing1 colt coming from last in the @ArrowfieldStud Breeders’ defeating Mach Ten and Physical Graffiti. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/rtWGuqdjIH
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) October 1, 2022
Bred by George Altomonte’s Corumbene Stud, Empire Of Japan is the fourth living foal of Magic Night S. G2 winner Ichihara (by General Nediym), a full sister to the dam of Snitzel’s gifted Group-winning son Menari.
Menari & Empire Of Japan are two of the four Group winners among 10 stakes performers from just 27 runners bred on the Snitzel/General Nediym cross.
Empire Of Japan was offered at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale and bought for $680,000 by China Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock & Starlight Racing who now race him with a number of other prominent breeders.
His co-trainer Paul Snowden said, “This horse wasn’t screwed down at all for today’s event. What you see is what you get with him, he’s got a fair bit of ability and he’s got a good turn of foot.”
A little over two hours later, Snitzel notched up stakes win number 251 when Arrowfield graduate Williamsburg, already a dual stakeswinner at two, produced a similarly stunning effort to win the $250,000 ATC Dulcify S. 1600m LR.
A great training performance and super steer sees Williamsburg salute in the Dulcify!@KPMcEvoy @GRyanRacing @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/R3SGmMjRW6
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 1, 2022
Williamsburg is the third foal of Group 1 winner Fenway (by High Chaparral) and was bred by Arrowfield’s partnership with GSA Bloodstock. He was purchased for $470,000 from the Stud’s 2021 Inglis Easter draft by Tony Fung Investments (TFI) and is trained by Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou.
The Ryan & Alexiou team enjoyed their first Group 1 victory under their joint banner when Ellsberg (by Snitzel’s deceased son Spill The Beans) dead-heated with Top Ranked in the Epsom Handicap G1.
TFI purchased Williamsburg’s full sister at this year’s Inglis Easter Sale and Fenway’s I Am Invincible filly will be offered for sale in 2023. Fenway is due to foal to Maurice this Spring and all going well, will return to him.
A stellar Snitzel day at Sydney’s racing headquarters was given a final flourish when the now-gelded 4YO Remarque showed that fulfilment of his bright early promise is not far away.
A full brother of Champion 2YO Response, Remarque was a convincing winner of the last race on the card and he will now head towards the $3 million Nature Strip Stakes over 1300m at Rosehill on 29 October.
Snitzel’s 44 winners, 4 stakeswinners and $2.5 million progeny earnings since 1 August have put him, once again, in the thick of the early battle for Australia’s stallion honours.
