Steve looks at the two current stallion sensations whose offspring may well dominate the January sales
This, of course, will come as a shock to nobody.
The two stallions have probably had a greater impact on racing, in 2017, than champion Street Cry (Machiavellian) mare Winx and a thing called The Everest (1200m) – won by Snitzel’s son Redzel – rolled into one.
Like their sires before them, Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) and Zabeel (Sir Tristram), they’ve become all conquering.
The numbers can often lie but, in Snitzel’s case, they are overwhelming and – in some areas – unprecedented. And likewise for Savabeel who’s probably and unfairly ‘suffered’ from a little less hyperbole sitting across the ditch.
So far this season Snitzel’s roll has kept its momentum with 16 winners of 20 Group and Listed races. Last season which, of course, encompasses the first seven months of 2017, he had 26 stakes winners.
Half of his Group One winners have come from his current three-, four- and five–year-olds sold between 2014 and 2016. In these years, his Magic Millions average progressed from circa $148,000 to $243,000 to $329,000. His yearlings, in that span, did not feature in the top ten of median prices at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Seven of his 12 Group One winners sold, as yearlings, for between $120,000 and $320,000. His most expensive yearling was Wandjina at $1,000,000 while the cheapest was Hot Snitzel at $60,000. Trapeze Artist was passed in while his two from Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mares – Invader and Summer Passage – made $475,000 and $800,000 respectively.
Redzel and Trapeze Artist are likely to further cement his reputation while the following horses could well add to Snitzel’s list of 12 individual Group One winners: – Menari, Showtime, Snitty Kitty, Goodfella, Dracarys, Eptimum, Jukebox, Lubiton, Perast, Sweet Redemption, Arbeitsam, Nomothaj, Snitzepeg and Untamed Diamond.
Savabeel, a year older than Snitzel, continues to be as dominant in New Zealand as Snitzel has been in Australia. His list of potential Group One winners in waiting is perhaps not as impressive or extensive, save for any unexposed youngsters, but his strike rate numbers are even better than Snitzel’s in some categories.
At the start of the spring, they could each boast 12 individual Group One winners. Savabeel has now zoomed to 15 following the major wins, all in November, of Embellish, Hasahalo and Shillelagh.
And just when his Group One honour roll was starting to look a tad dated, the New Zealand Guineas’ (both Gr 1, 1600m) successes of the three-year-old colt Embellish and filly Hasahalo have set that right.
His Group One winners have been, as it’s turned out, incredible value with only Embellish – the brother to his 2015 Group One winner Diademe – at NZ$775,000 selling for more than NZ$230,000. Costume and Savaria, along with the aforementioned siblings, given him four top-flight winners out of O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) mares.
Brothers to Costume and to the Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Brambles are among the 2018 Savabeels to be offered at Karaka while on the Gold Coast you can survey a handful of likely Savabeels, mainly offered by Sledmere Stud, including the brother to Pasadena Girl.
Similarly there’s a handful of Snitzels at Karaka. Five catalogued to be precise. They include the first foal of Brisbane Cup (Gr 2, 2400m) winner Floria… by Savabeel.
At Magic Millions, the sister to Sweet Idea and the brother to Sizzling are among the Snitzels scheduled for sale – most of whom are from mares who’d attract attention anywhere.
The January sale of the Snitzels and the Savabeels just might set the sales tone for all of 2018.
Click here to view the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale catalogue. https://ecat.magicmillions.com.au/viewAll/18GPR
Click here to view Book One of the Karaka National Yearling Sale. https://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ordered=lot&sort=asc&sale_id=201