Williamsburg takes the Fernhill Mile

On a spectacular day of Championship racing at Randwick, Snitzel’s 2YO son Williamsburg confirmed his readiness for a Group 1 test with a commanding victory in the $150,000 Fernhill Mile 1600m LR. 

It was the colt’s second consecutive stakes success for the Fung family and trainers Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou and he is now likely to line up in next Saturday’s $500,000 Champagne S. G1 over the same distance. 

Williamsburg gets the better of Moko once again and is now 3 from 5!@KPMcEvoy @GRyanRacing @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/505cQzV6i7

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 9, 2022

Gerald Ryan said after the race, “He cops his races really well…the race at Rosehill last week and today were the two races we aimed him at, and he’s delivered both times.

“If he comes through this race really good, as he has his last two starts, I’d have no hesitation backing him up next week in the Champagne.”

His opposition is likely to include Golden Slipper & Inglis Sires’ winner Fireburn as well as the Sires’ placegetters She’s Extreme & Let’srollthedice (by Dundeel) but as Ryan points out, his colt is “proven at a mile, he’s proven on wet tracks and he is proven at Randwick.”

Bred by Arrowfield with GSA Bloodstock, Williamsburg is the third foal of Group 1 winner Fenway (by High Chaparral) and was a $470,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Tony Fung Investments. The same buyer also secured Williamsburg’s full sister from Arrowfield’s record-breaking draft at this year’s Easter Sale. 

Fenway has a weanling filly by I Am Invincible and is in foal to leading Second Season Sire Maurice. 

As for Snitzel, he is now locked in a four-way battle with So You Think, I Am Invincible & Nicconi for Australia’s 2021/22 major stallion premiership.

However, the 4-time Champion Sire holds a clear lead by individual stakeswinners (15) and stakes wins (21), which explains why he has just recorded the highest yearling sale average of his career, $717,708 for 24 lots sold at Inglis Easter 2022.