Snitzel rules, OK?

September 25, 2021

John Messara said it: The best is yet to come for Snitzel.

A Group 1 double within 24 hours by Wild Ruler & In The Congo has decisively proved him right.

The four-time Champion Sire had already stamped his dominance on Australia’s early-season racing before the weekend.

Group wins by Bruckner, In The Congo, Four Moves Ahead & Splintex and Mr Mozart’s Listed success had returned him to the head of the General & 3YO stallion premierships, and Mr Mozart very nearly won the Bill Stutt S. G2 in the third race on Friday evening’s card at The Valley.

Then Snitzel’s smashing, multiple Group-winning son Wild Ruler took the stage in the $1 million A. J. Moir S. 1000m G1 and delivered a thrilling victory for the Snowden stable and a high-profile ownership group led by Newgate Farm, China Horse Club & Winstar Farm.

Jockey Daniel Moor said, “He’s one of the most professional sprinters I’ve ever ridden…everything I asked him to do, he’s just the ultimate professional and he’s got a really good turn of foot.”

Wild Ruler is Snitzel’s 8th $2 million+ earner, with a quality record typical of his sire’s best progeny: six wins, all black type, and four placings from 13 starts at two, three & four. No surprise that Yulong Investments have now selected him for their Everest slot.

Bred by Kia Ora Stud from the US Grade 2 winner Gypsy Robin (the best performer by Awesome Again’s son Daaher), Wild Ruler was a $525,000 buy from his breeder’s draft at the 2019 Inglis Easter Sale. Gypsy Robin is due to foal a full sibling to her star son this Spring.

Twenty hours later Snitzel and much the same group of owners were again in the Group 1 winner’s circle, thanks to 3YO colt In The Congo. He led his dozen rivals a merry dance in $1 million Golden Rose S. G1 and was still dancing at the end of the 1400 metres, posting a new race record time of 1:21.46. He is Snitzel’s second Golden Rose winner after Champion 3YO Colt Trapeze Artist in 2017.

Derek Brugman’s Nordic Racing & Breeding bred In The Congo from Champion South African Sprinter & three-time Group 1 winner Via Africa (by Storm Cat’s grandson Var), who has foaled a filly by The Autumn Sun this Spring. Offered at Inglis Easter by Newhaven Park Stud, In The Congo was purchased for $350,000 by China Horse Club & Newgate Bloodstock.

He has now won three and placed in three of his first six starts, earning more than $800,000.

Newhaven Park’s John Kelly remembered In The Congo as a youngster, “He was a beautiful foal when he was born here, was an absolutely magnificent yearling and now he’s a star racehorse.

“He’s an exciting horse to watch too, he gets out in front and gives them all a chance to run him down but they rarely can and thankfully they couldn’t today.”

Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse said, “It’s simply marvellous, a dream come true with him.

“He didn’t miss a beat this week going into the race, every single day he just did that little bit more that makes you say ‘boy, this is the horse to fight the finish out on Saturday’ and lo and behold, he showed them who was boss!”

The same can be said of Snitzel, whose 16th & 17th Group 1 winners spearhead his attack on a fifth Australian Sires’ premiership which he now leads with $3.5 million prizemoney.

Source: Arrowfield