Snitzel’s Immortal Love wins McNeil battle
Snitzel has raced to an early lead on the 2020/21 General Sires' Premiership with $1.2 million prizemoney before the end of August. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Little more than a week after Arrowfield unveiled the magnificent Tanya Bartlett sculpture of Champion Sire Snitzel, his 104th stakeswinner bears a name that matches the sentiment behind the statue.
Immortal Love won a desperate battle for the $160,000 MRC H.D.F. McNeil S. 1200m G3 with a strong finish that put him in front on the line, mere whiskers ahead of Flying Award and Arrowfield graduate Tagaloa, who rallied gamely under topweight of 59.5 kg.
What. A. Finish. 💥
Immortal Love over the top from Tagaloa and Flying Award. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/eSxciD04OK
— Racing.com (@Racing) August 29, 2020
A home-bred for Peter Creighton’s United Syndications, Immortal Love is now unbeaten in three starts and his Spring campaign is already mapped out: the Exford Plate LR on 12 September, Caulfield Guineas Prelude G3 on 26 September and the $2 million Caulfield Guineas G1 on 10 October.
Co-trainer Mick Price warned that Immortal Love will be more dominant on the kind of wet ground he struck at Flemington for his second, 3.5 length victory.
Jockey Craig Newitt also expressed confidence in the gelding’s prospects.
“He’ll definitely measure up all the way through spring. He’s got a bright future…Definitely looking for seven furlongs and a mile. He’s got a very good prep ahead of him.”
The last two Arrowfield-connected winners of the McNeil Stakes certainly measured up: Super Seth (by Dundeel) went on to win last year’s Caulfield Guineas, and Miss Finland (by Redoute’s Choice) claimed the 2006 One Thousand Guineas G1 and VRC Oaks G1.
Immortal Love is the third foal and third winner from the good stakes-winning mare Loveyamadly (by Bel Esprit from the Danehill Dancer mare Beauty World), herself a half-sister to three stakes winners, among them Snitzel’s son Ducimus.
As for Snitzel, he hasn’t missed a beat since winning his fourth straight Premiership. Ominously for his rivals, the 27 winners and $1.2 million prizemoney he’s compiled in the first month of this Australian season is well above the 12 winners and $729,000 he notched up in August 2019.
