Snitzel colt books Gold Coast trip

Snitzel’s son Highness wound up late to win Wednesday’s $200,000 Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic 1100m RL at his second start for the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership that purchased him in January this year.

That secures the colt’s spot in next month’s $3 million Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YO Classic RL, previously won by Snitzel’s daughters Exhilarates (2019) and Away Game (2020).  

Highness is the 8th Arrowfield-sired winner of the lead-up Wyong race (won by Snitzel himself in 2004), and he takes his Champion Sire’s lifetime tally of stakeswinners to 139 – a remarkable 53 of them 2YOs. 

Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner HIGHNESS is SW139 for Snitzel

Dam an unraced 1/2 to Gr1 HOTY Dissident@ArrowfieldStud @jmeharron @SegenhoeGroup @mmsnippets pic.twitter.com/0OabwsnAgk

— Pedigree Update (@pedigreeupdate) December 13, 2023

Trainer Michael Freedman said of Highness, “I think he has a really good future. I loved his run in the Breeders’ Plate, where he did not have a great deal of luck.

“He is still a bit showy in condition and he is still learning to be a racehorse. I think he did that today on raw ability so if he comes through it OK, we have a ticket to the Gold Coast, so fingers crossed.

“I hear they ran good time [1:03.25] which is a good indication for young two-year-olds. Even though it was a small field it might be a good form race.”

Highness is the best of three winners out of Diana’s Star (by Northern Meteor), an unraced half-sister to 2015 Horse of the Year and 5-time Group 1 winner Dissident.

Peter O’Brien of Segenhoe Stud, which sold Highness for $900,000 at Magic Millions on behalf of his breeders Owen Egan, Ron Hamer & Mick Johnston, posted on X that Diana’s Star has a So You Think colt for Inglis Easter 2024, a “stunning” colt foal by Maurice and is back in foal to Snitzel. 

The Magic Millions 2024 catalogue features 51 yearlings by Snitzel, including 5 colts & 3 fillies in Arrowfield’s draft.