Snitzel’s stakes treble at Randwick

Before Saturday, Snitzel had notched up three same-day stakes trebles, all within the past 12 months, on 1 April, 19 August and 21 October 2017.

What was missing was a black type treble achieved on the same day and the same track. That gap in Snitzel’s dazzling CV is now filled after Arrowfield Inglis Easter graduate Estijaab, 3YO filly I Am Excited and scintillating 5YO sprinter Redzel won on Randwick Guineas day at Royal Randwick. 

2YO filly Estijaab started favourite in the $300,000 ATC Reisling S. 1200m G2 after her excellent Silver Slipper second to Sunlight a fortnight earlier.  

The Snitzel-Response filly was a star of Arrowfield’s 2017 Inglis Easter draft and on Saturday she put in a performance worthy of the $1.7 million that Emirates Park and Bryan Carlson paid for her, setting a new race record of 1:09.10 in the process.

Watch Estijaab win the ATC Reisling S. G2.

Dual Group 1 winner Response (by Charge Forward) found her best form at four and, although the Golden Slipper appears to be firmly on her agenda, her daughter looks capable of similar progression beyond her juvenile year.

Jockey Brenton Avdulla said, “She relaxed well and travelled comfortably. I would have been happy for something to come with me – she just wandered around a bit in the straight. 

“She had a runner to her inside and her outside from the furlong on and that spurred her on again. I never felt like I was going to be run down, she was just waiting for them.”

Trained by the Hawkes team, Estijaab is a new success for the great Japanese breeder Katsumi Yoshida and his partnership with Arrowfield. Response has a yearling filly by Snitzel bought for $350,000 by Moody Racing at the Magic Millions Sale, a weanling full sister and is again in foal to the Champion Sire.  

3YO filly I Am Excited put herself on the watch-list with a strong win at her campaign debut on 24 February, and was a convincing winner of the $125,000 ATC Fireball S. 1100m LR.

Watch I Am Excited win the ATC Fireball S. LR.

Trained by David Pfieffer for her breeders, the Ferguson family of Bell River Thoroughbreds, I Am Excited is a half-sister to multiple stakeswinner Flippant, out of Lady Beckworth (by General Nediym).

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy said, “She’s a nice filly. She’s a bit more seasoned this time in and sprinting is her go. David has handled her well and she there is more to come. She’s got a great turn of foot, she’s a big strong girl.”

I Am Excited is nominated for the $600,000 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint G2 on 14 April, the second day of The Championships.

A fast Randwick track certainly helped, but the major ingredient in the new track and race record of 55:73 set for the $500,000 ATC Challenge S. 1000m G2 was the powerhouse pace of the season’s dominant sprinter Redzel.

Watch Redzel win the ATC Challenge S. G2 in track record time.

It was the 7th Group victory for the 5YO son of Snitzel and Millrich (by Rubiton) who has now earned $8.2 million – more than any other Australian sprinter – for his Triple Crown-managed owners and trainers Peter & Paul Snowden. Redzel’s next target is the $2.5 million T.J. Smith S. G1 on 7 April.

Paul Snowden said of Redzel, “I’d love to have about 10 of him. Actually, I won’t be greedy, five would do. He’s so quiet, so relaxed, so tough, so fast, he handles it wet, he handles it dry. He ticks every box.

“He’s now the finished product and it’s been great to be a part of him evolving into the perfect racehorse. When you talk bombproof horses, Sepoy’s the only horse I think I could compare with him.”

Snitzel ended the day with Australian season totals of $18.7 million prizemoney – already a new record – and 23 individual stakeswinners, only four away from an all-time record.

Snitzel’s 64 yearlings catalogued for Inglis Easter include two colts and 8 fillies offered by Arrowfield