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Surpasses his sire Redoute’s Choice
Arrowfield Stud-based Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) landed his fourth consecutive general sires’ premiership with his progeny netting $17,845,624 in career prize-money, over $2 million ahead of his two rivals I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and Pierro (Lonhro), who finished second and third respectively.
In winning his fourth champion sires’ title Snitzel surpasses his breed-shaping sire Redoute’s Choice (Danehill), who landed three (2006, 2010, 2014), but was never able to string consecutive titles together.
Four straight titles earn Snitzel a place in the loftiest company. In the 137-year history of the premiership, only Valais (Cicero) (in the 1920s), his son Heroic (1930s), Delville Wood (Bois Roussel) (1950s), Star Kingdom (Stardust) (1960s) and Snitzel’s grandsire Danehill (Danzig) (2000s) have previously won four or more consecutive premierships.
“Only the very best stallions can do what Snitzel does, he is absolutely amazing and we are all extremely proud of him,” Arrowfield’s chairman John Messara said.
“I’m grateful for the support he receives from his shareholders, breeders, buyers, owners and trainers and look forward to seeing them all enjoy more success with Snitzel’s progeny – because there is plenty more to come!”
Snitzel also heads the 2019/20 General Sires’ table by number of stakes winners with and stakes wins (25), ahead of Exceed and Excel, who sired 14 stakes individual stakes winners and I Am Invincible, who was represented by 13. While, Snitzel’s lifetime stakes winners to runners strike rate from his Australian crops remains at an impressive 9.8 per cent.
The stallion’s highest earner this season was the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained iron filly Away Game, whose four stakes victories included the lucrative Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m), while his daughter I Am Excited also provided the stallion with a Group 1 winner when taking out The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m).
Snitzel has also enjoyed a good season in the sales ring with 76 of his yearlings offered in 2020 making an aggregate of $26,374,471 1 at an average of $347,032, while his median was 300,000.
Snitzel also becomes the only three-time winner of the Australian 2YO Sires’ Premiership in the past two decades with $4.7 million, 28 winners & 4 stakes winners. Snitzel’s barnmate Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) finished second with his two-year-old progeny netting $4.3 million in prize-money.
Meanwhile in New Zealand, Waikato Stud-based sire Savabeel (Zabeel) sealed his sixth consecutive general sires’ premiership after his progeny netted NZ$3,108,369, over NZ$1 million ahead of Darci Brahma (Danehill), who finished with NZ$2,015,075.
Savabeel was represented by 15 stakes winners this season, headed by Group 1-winning pair Cool Aza Beel and Probabeel, while the pair also landed the Karaka 2YO Million (RL, 1200m) and Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1400m) respectively.
Savabeel was unmatched In the sales ring in New Zealand in 2020, with 58 yearlings selling for an aggregate of NZ$13,922,331 at an average of NZ$240,040.
