Like his legendary sire Redoute’s Choice & grandsire Danehill, four-time Champion Sire Snitzel is making an extraordinary contribution to Australian thoroughbred breeding & racing. (PHOTO: Damian Bennett)

Snitzel wins fourth straight Champion Sire award

Snitzel’s fourth consecutive season as Australia’s No. 1 sire was officially recognised by the presentation of the 2019/20 Champion Sire title at Monday evening’s 2020 Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards.

Hosted this year by Racing Queensland, the event’s format was adjusted for the Covid-19 pandemic and Arrowfield’s Manager Paul Messara accepted Snitzel’s award via video.

Snitzel’s fourth title, won with $17.8 million prizemoney, more than $2 million clear of I Am Invincible & Pierro, confirms Arrowfield’s superstar stallion as the dominant Australian sire of his era. 

It also secures his special place in the 137-year history of the Premiership, alongside Valais (in the 1920s), his son Heroic (1930s), Delville Wood (1950s), Star Kingdom (1960s) and Snitzel’s grandsire Danehill (2000s). They are the only other Australian stallions that have won four or more consecutive premierships.  

Deep, diverse & consistent achievement was the hallmark of Snitzel’s fourth Premiership season. He registered Australian black type success in every quarter of 2019/20, with 18 winners of 25 Group & Listed Races from six crops & 14 stables at distances from 1000m to 2400 metres.

His splendid 2YO daughter Away Game was Snitzel’s leading earner, contributing $2.7 million from her four Group & Listed wins, notably the Percy Sykes S. G2 & Magic Millions 2YO Classic RL, and her gallant runner-up finish to Not A Single Doubt’s Champion 2YO son Farnan in the Golden Slipper G1. 

5YO mare I Am Excited became Snitzel’s 14th individual Group 1 winner & 13th million-dollar earner in The Galaxy, and 3YO colt Splintex brought up Snitzel’s century of stakeswinners in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint G2.

Snitzel has made a strong start in his quest for a fifth Premiership, thanks to Group winners Immortal Love & Taikomochi and Listed winners Snitzkraft & Wild Ruler. With earnings of $2.2 million, he currently sits in third spot on the 2020/21 Australian General Sires’ list behind barnmate Written Tycoon & I Am Invincible. This time last year Snitzel was 9th with $1.6 million prizemoney.