Arrowfield Stud’s champion sire Snitzel is riding high as a sire of sires thanks to his Cox Plate winning son Shamus Award and the speedy Russian Revolution, crowned champion first crop sire last season, but there is a new wave of his colts being readied for a spring assault and several will be in action on Saturday.
The Group III ATC San Domenico Stakes (1100m) marks the return of exciting colt Best of Bordeaux, who won the Group II ATC Silver Slipper and was last seen finishing a brave second in the Group I ATC Golden Slipper to Fireburn.
Trained by Kacy Fogden, he raced last season for Aquis and partners, but is now in the ownership of Coolmore and partners and will sport their navy blue colours for the first time.
A $425,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Baramul Stud draft, Best of Bordeaux is from High Chaparral (IRE) mare Chateau Cheval, a half-sister to Group I winning sire Casino Prince, Group III winner Tagus and stakes-winners Lord of the Land and Metallurgical.
It’s a top quality pedigree that would suggest he would also have no trouble extending his brilliance to 1400m for the Golden Rose or possibly even 1600m for the Caulfield Guineas if connections were thinking that way.
Progressive Snitzel colt Zoukerino has been a bit of a boom winter colt and will take race fitness into this assignment where he ups the ante considerably on his last start win in the Listed ATC Rosebud.
The top lot at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale where he sold for $500,000 to Suman Hedge Bloodstock, Zoukerino also has a very appealing pedigree with his first two stakes-winning dams Walk With Attitude and Hillfa tracing back to influential mare Eljazzi, whose descendants include champion sires Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.
1400m should also hold no fears for him with the Golden Rose looming large on the horizon if he measures up in this stern test.
The Group III ATC Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) is run over a furlong further than the San Domenico and features quality Snitzel colt Williamsburg, who had a productive juvenile season with three wins and two placings from his six starts.
Two of those wins were in Group and Listed races and he was third in the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes which is why he has 59kg, but his class will still carry him a long way.
A blue-blood being from Group I winning High Chaparral (IRE) mare Fenway, Williamsburg was a TFI Investments $470,000 Inglis Easter purchase and runs in the Aquis colours.
Snitzel topped the 221 Magic Million Yearling Sale with his $1.9million colt from Bonny O’Reilly bought by Tom Magnier and Basquiat is also set to take his place in the Up and Coming.
He’s had a win and two seconds from four starts and was a last start fifth in the Group I BRC JJ Atkins with two recent trials sure to have him tuned for his return.
Basquiat is not a big colt, but he does have a big pedigree being the first foal of stakes-winning O’Reilly mare Bonny O’Reilly from the family of Group I winners Vision and Power, Glamour Puss and Steps in Time
Another interesting Snitzel colt that has been waiting in the wings is Lofty Strike, who won his only two starts last season including the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Prelude before he was barred by stewards after presenting lame prior to the Blue Diamond.
He is back in work with Julius Sandhu and the embargo on the colt has now been lifted with the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud stakes his spring target race.
"The stable has provided the necessary documentation regarding Lofty Strike, which has satisfied RV vets," an RV spokesperson told Racing.com.
"Lofty Strike will still require a satisfactory pre-race trot up on race day before being passed fit to race.
"RV vets have also offered to inspect the colt next month before his planned return to racing in October."
A $280,000 Magic Millions purchase for Lofty Thoroughbred Group, Lofty Strike is bred for speed being from Golden Slipper winner Overreach, a three-quarter sister-in-blood to Blue Diamond winner Reward for Effort.
