Switzerland wins the Todman Stakes G2
The Arrowfield Easter-sold colt Switzerland (navy silks) defeats Straight Charge & Shangri La Express to go 3-from-3 and become SW No. 142 of Snitzel's extraordinary career. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Arrowfield Easter graduate colt Switzerland joined an imposing list of past winners when he claimed Saturday’s $300,000 ATC Todman S. 1200m G2 and now heads to the $4.9 million Golden Slipper G1 on 23 March as the clear second favourite behind Storm Boy.
Snitzel’s 55th juvenile stakeswinner (and number 142 overall) showed serious competitive grit to overhaul a determined Straight Charge in the straight and score by almost a length in 1:09.39 – more than a second faster than the filly Erno’s Cube in the Reisling S. G2.
Previous Todman winners include subsequent Golden Slipper victors Farnan, Vancouver & Pierro, outstanding colts Anamoe, Yes Yes Yes, Criterion, Charge Forward & Octagonal and Saturday’s Newmarket H. G1 winner Cylinder.
A $1.5 million purchase by Tom Magnier for Coolmore & partners, Switzerland takes Arrowfield’s tally of Inglis Easter graduate stakeswinners since 2014 to 39. And his full brother is Lot 170 at next month’s Easter Sale.
What a win!
Switzerland maintains his unbeaten record in the G2 Todman Stakes and is into the Golden Slipper for @cwallerracing and @mcacajamez!@aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/H1KHTGE0xw
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 9, 2024
Jockey James McDonald knows exactly what makes Switzerland so effective.
“He’s a proper little racehorse. He just turns up and does his job. There’s no riff-raff with him. He’s so economical, he’s got the best attitude and that takes him a long way.
“He surprised me today. I thought that was an extremely good field and he won with a bit of authority in the end. I felt like I was really building to my top level right at the end, so he sustained a great gallop. And he’s definitely the one to beat in the Slipper.”
Bred by Arrowfield and Cloros Bloodstock, Switzerland is the first foal of the US Grade 2 winner Ms Bad Behavior (by noted broodmare sire Blame) who was purchased for Matt & Jo Cloros by Arrowfield’s Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Read more about that purchase here.
Ms Bad Behavior produced her third quality Snitzel colt last Spring and is again in foal to the multiple Champion Sire who has already compiled 8 stakeswinners this season, including 2YO colts Prost, Highness & Switzerland.
The weekend also proved rewarding for Snitzel as the broodmare sire of new Group 1 winners Celestial Legend at Randwick and 2YO filly Velocious in New Zealand.
Snitzel has 40 yearlings catalogued for Inglis Easter 2024, among them 6 colts & 8 fillies offered by Arrowfield.
