Snitzel’s stellar season continues
Snitzel is the only stallion holding a top 5 spot on the current Australian General, Broodmare, 2YO & 3YO Sires' Premierships. (PHOTO: Joan Faras)
Pinecliff Racing’s talented home-bred 5YO mare Zloties – named for the basic unit of Polish currency – earned her biggest cheque along with valuable Group-winning status when she won a tight battle for Saturday’s $250,000 Queen of the South S. 1600m G2 at Morphettville.
With a quarter of the season yet to unfold, Zloties is the 18th individual stakeswinner of 2024/25 for her Champion Sire Snitzel and No. 158 of his extraordinary career.
Thirteen of those 18 current stakeswinners are new this season, and in all they have won 22 Group & 5 Listed Races in Australia, New Zealand & Hong Kong since 1 August 2024. That’s a tally Snitzel has exceeded only three times: in his first two Championship seasons, 2016/17 (36 stakes wins) & 2017/18 (45), and again in 2021/22 (28).
Snitzel’s season total of 6 Group 1 victories, by Lady Shenandoah (3), Switzerland, Marhoona & Return To Conquer, equals his record of 2017/18, when Trapeze Artist (3), Redzel, Estijaab & Russian Revolution all posted Group 1 wins.
And Zloties was one of Snitzel’s 6 winners on Saturday, a list that includes his 18th 2YO winner this season, the Arrowfield graduate Beadman at Newcastle, and The Valley winners Excess & Waimarie.
Zloties is the Queen Of The South! 👸🏼
Well done to @Grahame_Begg & @JChilds47. pic.twitter.com/TAx8iJJcPd
— Racing.com (@Racing) April 26, 2025
Zloties’ trainer Grahame Begg explained before her Adelaide victory that the stable considered her one of its best juveniles, but her career after her 2YO debut was delayed by a series of injuries until this season.
Zloties quickly asserted her ability with wins at Geelong and Sandown last Spring, and this Autumn has notched up three straight victories, including the $150,000 Bendigo Gold Bracelet and now a Group 2 success, defeating Group-winning Arrowfield graduate Lady In Pink & Seeking Stardom.
Zloties is the third Group winner left by the fine producer Polska (by Encosta de Lago), after dual Group 1 winner Seaburge and Group 2 winner Catch A Fire. The mare has an unraced 2YO colt named Horatius (by Super Seth) in the Clinton McDonald stable, a yearling filly by I Am Invincible, a weanling colt by Toronado and is now in foal to Snitzel’s barnmate Castelvecchio.
