Snitzel: An age-defying, dominant stallion

Cover image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud

At 22-years-old, Snitzel is the sire of 23 Group 1 winners and 156 stakes winners. An earner of over $1 million as racehorse with seven wins from 15 starts led by the G1 Oakleigh Plate, he had a lot to live up as the son and grandson of Champion Sires, being Redoute’s Choice and Danehill (USA). He’s certainly lived up to those expectations and more, having recently surpassed both his sire and grandsire with 83 3-year-olds stakes winners after Lazzura who won the G2 Phar Lap Stakes on March 15.

“He had winners at 1200 metres and 2000 metres on the weekend, and Group 1 winners at all distances. He’s an absolute marvel. He’s been an amazing stallion for a long time now and he’s showing no signs of dropping off. The last 12 months have been as good as we’ve ever seen,” said Arrowfield Stud’s Jon Freyer.

“Everyone was airborne after the weekend, there’s a real buzz around the farm. The Derby win was with one of our (yearling) graduates too. (Cap Ferrat) was an expensive yearling and we’ve been pleased that so many of million dollar yearlings have done so well on the track. There are a number of Group 1 winners coming from that group, like Switzerland, Wandjina, Estijaab. It’s fabulous.”

Unique position on sires' tables

Marhoona's G1 Golden Slipper victory has sent Snitzel to the top of the Australian 2YO Sires Premiership with progeny earnings of $3.7 million with Ole Kirk in second with progeny earnings of $2.4 million. Snitzel is also, just, second on the New Zealand 2YO Sires Premiership only $50,000 behind Super Seth.

Snitzel is uniquely the joint leader of the Australian General Sires Table and Australian Broodmare Sires Table - by individual stakes winners - an incredibly rare achievement at the same point in time. Snitzel is currently third on the General table by prizemoney with $17.3 million in progeny earnings this season, behind Zoustar with $18.7 million and Pride Of Dubai with $18.4 million, so the rest of the season will determine who comes out on top in a tight race.

Snitzel has had 14 individual stakes winners this season, who have won 20 stakes races between them, with Zoustar, I Am Invincible and Written Tycoon all sharing second with 11 individuals each.

On the damsire table, Snitzel is second by prizemoney with progeny earnings for the season to date of $19 million, behind Fastnet Rock with $25 million in progeny earnings as a damsire. By individual stakes winners Snitzel is equal top with his sire Redoute’s Choice, both having 14 individual stakes winners this season, but Snitzel leads as his 14 have won 18 stakes races, while Redoute’s Choice’s 14 as damsire have won 15 stakes races.

“He’s emerging as an outstanding broodmare sire, and may even challenge Redoute’s Choice in time, who has been an incredible damsire and sire of sires. Snitzel daughters look like they’ll be absolutely fab broodmares. To do it at his stage of his career is amazing, as it usually takes a lot longer to get established as a damsire,” said Freyer.

“Snitzel’s first runner as a damsire was the Golden Slipper winner Mossfun, and here we are down the track with the same connections winning the race with a Snitzel filly. They also won the Slipper with Estijaab who they bought from us for $1.7 million.

“The Snitzels are expensive, but it’s money well spent.”

Snitzel is also second by progeny earnings on the Australian 3YO Sires Premiership, $1.2 million behind Written Tycoon, while he leads this table on individual stakes winners with 9 alongside Too Darn Hot (GB) who also has nine.

Siblings to recent stakes winners in Easter draft

The four-time Champion Australian Sire has 45 lots catalogued for next month’s Inglis Easter Sale, including seven colts and three fillies offered by Arrowfield, and a further 20 lots as a damsire.

Headlining Arrowfield’s offerings are the full brother to G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland (Snitzel), Lot 76, who is out of G3 Kentucky Down Ladies Stakes winner Ms Bad Behavior (Can). She was purchased by Freyer Bloodstock for US$600,000 (AU$954,000) at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Mixed Sale and has proven to be an excellent buy for Arrowfield Stud with her first foal, being the $1.5 million yearling who became the now 3-year-old Group 1-winning colt Switzerland. Her second foal, 2-year-old colt Decorum (Snitzel) sold for $550,000 to TFI and is being trained by Golden Slipper-winning trainer Michael Freedman.

“He’s an outstanding colt. One of the colts of the sale, I’m sure. He’s a horse with everything,” said Freyer. His second dam is also a stakes winner, Cumulonimble (USA) (Stormy Atlantic {USA}) who produced three stakes winners, led by Ms Bad Behavior.

Lot 161 gained a massive upgrade when his full brother, Blitzburg (Snitzel) won the G3 Canonbury Stakes at the start of February. “He’s a horse that we really like. He’s caught everyone’s eye in the early inspections. You don’t see Blitzburg on the page unfortunately,” said Freyer, referring to his Group win coming after the catalogue went to print.

“He’s a similar type of horse, slightly bigger and stronger, but cast in the same mould, and Blitzburg looks like he’ll have a nice 3-year-old career ahead of him.”

The full brother to million dollar yearling and now Listed Hong Kong Derby winner Cap Ferrat (Snitzel) is Lot 312. “He’s a terrific colt, an imposing individual and a handsome big strong colt. With the (pedigree) update, he’s got a world class pedigree that just got better.”

Cap Ferrat and his full brother are out of Listed Laelia Stakes winner and G1 Schweppes Oaks-placed C’Est Beau La Vie (Bernardini {USA}), whose current 3-year-old and 2-year-old are both by Dundeel (NZ). C’Est Beau La Vie is a half-sister to G3 Hong Kong Bauhinia Trophy winner Jolly Banner (Lonhro) and Listed winner Wales (Redoute’s Choice), while her dam Group 3 winner Valkyrie Diva (Jade Robbery {USA}) is a half-sister to triple G1 Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}).

Plenty to like about the other Snitzels too

Arrowfield’s Easter draft is mouthwatering – that’s the basic premise at Easter – and the other Snitzel yearlings include a full brother, Lot 24, to G2 Sapphire Stakes winner Wee Nessy out of Listed placed Later Gator (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}). “(Later Gator)’s been a great producer, and Wee Nessy has won or placed in a dozen stakes races. He’s a good colt, early in the sale.”

Of the others, Freyer selected the filly, Lot 201, out of triple Group 2 winner Super Cash (Written Tycoon). “She was a really fast mare by Written Tycoon and it’s a cross that works very well, and the filly is outstanding filly. Just looks like a ball of speed.”

“The Snitzel who is a close relation to Dubawi is an imposing colt.” Lot 195, he’s the first foal of unraced Subella (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), and his third dam is G1 Oaks d’Italia winner Zomaradah (GB) (Deploy {Ire}), the dam of Group 1 winner and Champion Sire Dubawi (Ire).

Gallery: A selection of Snitzel's progeny at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Inglis

Snitzel as a damsire

Beginning with Mossfun (Mossman), Snitzel now has 43 stakes winners as a damsire with six Group 1 winners. Of them, three are by Written Tycoon being Captured By Love, Private Life, and Velocious, while the other two are Celestial Legend (Dundeel {NZ}) and Pinstriped (Street Boss {USA}).

From the family of Private Life is Lot 212, Arrowfield’s Maurice (Jpn) colt from G3 Widden Stakes winner Teaspoon (Snitzel). “She had a big update with Demitasse winning at Doomben on Wednesday,” Freyer said, noting that while it wasn’t as big a update as Arrowfield’s other achievements, it’s still a city win and takes Demitasse (Shalaa {Ire}) to five wins. “It’s a family on the move and (the yearling) is a big strong horse, a real running type.”

Arguably, the biggest upgrade for Arrowfield’s Snitzel mares in this draft comes with Lot 332, a Dundeel (NZ) colt out of unraced Courchevel (Snitzel), a full sister to Listed winner El Divino and a half-sister to Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), from the family of this weekend’s G1 George Ryder Stakes winner Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) and G2 Wellington Guineas winner Vegas Queen (NZ) (Proisir), as well as Listed Fireball Stakes winner Enriched (I Am Invincible).

“Enriched ran second to Autumn Glow on the weekend. Thank God, he didn’t win and update the pedigree!” Freyer joked, as Arrowfield own the unbeaten 3-year-old filly Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun).

“He’s a really top class colt. We’ve got two exceptional Dundeel colts in this draft; this bloke and Super Seth’s brother and they are in the mould of the best Dundeels.

“We’ve had a nice trot with our graduates over the last little bit. It puts a real spring in your step.”

It’s not just Snitzel at Arrowfield

As well as the ten yearlings by Snitzel, Arrowfield also have five by Dundeel, three by Frankel (GB), two by I Am Invincible, seven by Maurice, one each for Palace Pier (GB) and Pinatubo (Ire), two by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr), ten by The Autumn Sun, and a Too Darn Hot (GB) in their Inglis Easter Yearling draft.

One of the lots that will garner plenty of attention is the Maurice half-brother to triple Group 1-winning 3-year-old filly Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel), Lot 187. “He’s probably a lot more stronger than she was at same stage, and a smart yearling. The mare, Star Pupil, is a blue hen producer. We have every confidence this horse will add to her record.” Star Pupil (Starcraft {NZ}) has produced two Group 1 winners, Lady Shenandoah and Queensland-based sire Stronger.

A pair of The Autumn Sun full siblings to talented performers round up the pedigree updates in the Arrowfield draft. Lot 65 is a full sister to Listed Canberra Cup-placed Matusalem (The Autumn Sun). “Matusalem is running on Saturday in the Neville Sellwood, he was the favourite for the abandoned Albury Cup, and looks like he win group races. She’s a nice filly from another fabulous producing mare. She looks like a Guineas filly, and is a bit sharper than Matusalem, and is a bit bigger and stronger than Kenenda was as a yearling.” Her dam, Miss Dodwell (Falbrav {Ire}) has produced dual Group 1 winner Kenenda (Not A Single Doubt) and G2 QTC Cup winner and sire Spill The Beans.

The Autumn Sun filly, Lot 117, is full sister to 3-year-old gelding and recent winner Call Me Magnifique. “She’ll fly under the radar a little bit. We’ve always rated her highly, she’s a real classic type of filly, an Oaks type to look at.” And The Autumn Sun’s record in producing Oaks-winning fillies marks him as a stallion to watch in the future.

Gallery: Two yearlings by The Autumn Sun received significant pedigree updates recently, images courtesy of Inglis

Snitzel might be entering his 23rd year on this planet and his 20th season at stud in 2025, but he’s nowhere near done yet.