Snitzel’s Group 1 Flemington quinella & double

Reigning Champion Sire Snitzel dominated Derby Day 2026 at Flemington with a Group 1 quinella and double in two of Australia’s most competitive tests for 3YO sprinters and fillies & mares. 

In all, Arrowfield stallions & graduates have won 9 (37.5%) of the first 24 Australian Group 1 races decided this season. 

Snitzel’s sons The Next Episode & Arrowfield graduate St Gotthard started favourites in the $2 million VRC Coolmore Stud S. 1200m G1 and when the pressure came on at the 300-metre mark they were both in for the fight. 

St Gotthard & James McDonald made the first move, but when Mark Zahra asked The Next Episode to go, his response was electric and quickly claimed the lead. St Gotthard produced the fastest final split, but his determination was matched by the Ciaron Maher-trained colt who prevailed by 0.2 length, with Mbube third. 

Binge-worthy! The Next Episode delivers a show-stopping finish to take the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes! 🥳 @cmaherracing @FlemingtonVRC https://t.co/2CEuVf6afo

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 31, 2026

Now Snitzel’s 29th Group 1 winner, The Next Episode (ex Group-winning sprinter Humma Humma by Bel Esprit) was bred by Widden Bloodstock, Warringah Stud Farm & Frampton Racing and purchased by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock from Widden’s Magic Millions draft for $2.8 million. That made him the top-priced colt at that sale, and Snitzel’s all-time top-priced yearling, just ahead of St Gotthard, sold by Arrowfield at Inglis Easter for $2.7 million to Tom Magnier. 

Snitzel’s 2023 crop, conceived when he was 20 years-old, has so far produced 9 stakeswinners & 6 other stakes performers, including Group 1 winners Fireball, Campione D’Italia & The Next Episode, from 53 runners. 

Champion Arrowfield graduate Lady Shenandoah completed the first same-day, same-track Group 1 double of Snitzel’s dazzling career with an assertive victory in the $1 million VRC Empire Rose 1600m G1, defeating Concord Connie & Dundeel’s Group 1-winning daughter Idle Flyer.

James McDonald said, “It was pretty smooth…she began like a rocket and she thought ‘I’ll get it over and done with pretty quickly’, so I just had to give her a little reminder that hey, I’m in charge here’ and she did that really well. From that part onwards, god, it was really smooth, she just relaxed, she glided in the straight and was never going to lose.

“One thing about her, she always runs to a very high level, so for horses to get to her, she won’t decrease, she just turns up and gets the job done.”

That success takes Lady Shenandoah to the top of Snitzel’s honour roll with 5 Group 1 victories, ahead of Trapeze Artist (4), Marhoona, Redzel, Russian Revolution & Shamus Award (2 each). She is also her sire’s leading female earner, with $5.6 million, more than 10 times the $525,000 Hermitage Thoroughbreds paid for her at Magic Millions. 

Lady Shenandoah, The Next Episode, St Gotthard, Golden Eagle runner-up Decorum & Carbine Club S. G3 2nd Unhinged contributed most of Snitzel’s $4.5 million earnings on the day – enough to put him hot on the trail of current Sires’ Premiership leader Street Boss, and ahead of his past barn-mates Written Tycoon, Maurice & The Autumn Sun.