3 minute read
Champion sire Snitzel is setting a pace that should see him smash his own Australian prizemoney record this season with ample time to spare.
In 2017 Snitzel was crowned Australian champion sire for the first time after his progeny won $16,220,135, sailing past the previous record of $12,975,554 set by Street Cry the previous season.
His 324 runners included 159 winners of 273 races highlighted by 26 stakes winners of 31 black type races.Those record figures already look shaky as progeny by the son of Redoute's Choice have won an incredible $11,148,248 since August 1, an amount that would have won all but three of the 17 Australian general sires titles since 2000.
Snitzel’s strike rate after just three months of the current season has him responsible for 60 winners of 81 races from 189 starters.
His progeny have already recorded 20 stakes victories, the latest contributors being the 3YO gelding Eptimum and 4YO mare Lubiton who delivered a G3 double at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day.Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds brought Eptimum to Melbourne as a travelling companion for his classy filly Houtzen and he has easily paid his way with wins at Ballarat and Bendigo before Saturday’s success in the G3 Red Anchor Stakes by three lengths.
The win has earned him a tilt at Saturday's $1 million Coolmore Stud Stakes where his rivals will include Houtzen.Eptimum was bred and sold by Victoria’s Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm from the Monashee Mountain mare Paramount, a winning sister to G1 Stradbroke Handicap winner La Montagna.
He was bought for $200,000 from the 2016 Magic Millions Sale.
Eptimum takes Snitzel's number of stakeswinners this season to 16 and is the 16th stakeswinner to emerge from the sire’s stunning 2014 crop.
Snitzel has been represented by 27 new stakeswinners since January 1 and his lifetime total now stands at 74.Lubiton’s win in the G3 Tesio Stakes was her second black type success this spring, running the 1600m in a new track record of 1:34.42.
The Bjorn Baker-trained Lubiton was bred by Bell View Park Stud and Foote Street Investments from the Zabeel mare Rosa Stellata.She was offered at the 2015 Easter Sale where she was bought for $250,000 by Sam Kavanagh.
Lubiton is trained by Baker for Steve and Louise Gillard, who also raced Snitzel's G3-winning daughter Oakleigh Girl.The Baker stable is enjoying a god run with their Snitzels, also prepares his 3YO son Goodfella to win the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick on October 21.
