Snitzel was a good racehorse, but as a sire he set new levels of excellence with his progeny

In the 2004 Magic Millions Yearling Sales held on the Gold Coast, Damion Flower and trainer Gerald Ryan had decided to bid for a Redoute’s Choice colt that had caught their attention. They agreed that a fair price for the colt would be $200,000, however, the bidding quickly surpassed that amount. As the bidding reached $260,000, the pair found themselves out of the running. Flower began to walk away when the bid was revised to $255,000. Before he turned around, Gerald had already raised his hand and acquired the horse for $260,000. Consequently, they obtained the Redoute’s Choice yearling, named the colt Snitzel, and entrusted him to Ryan for training. The subsequent events, as they say, have become a part of history.

Snitzel was an outstanding sprinter, winning seven of his 15 starts, including the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate, earning over $1 million prizemoney. Overall, he was a six-time stakes winner. Snitzel won at Warwick Farm on debut over 1000m in September of 2004 before returning in December to win at Wyong. He then trekked north to Doomben and won the Tommy Smith Slipper (1200m) by a nice six lengths. A 3rd to Bradbury's Luck in the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast in January 2005 would be his last run before a short let up. In February, with Glenn Boss aboard, Snitzel would resume fresh up and put 3L on Stratum to win Skyline Stakes at Canterbury Park before his worst effort on a dead track in the Golden Slipper, won by Stratum.

Returning in the Spring, the colt would run 3rd to Media and Written Tycoon in the San Demenico Stakes at Randwick. He would then defeat Stratum once again in the Up And Coming Stakes in August before a 4th in the Manikato at Moonee Valley. Takeover Target won the Lightning Stakes in Feb 2006, but Snitzel would prove victorious in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on a heavy track at Caulfield. With Craig Newitt now doing the riding, the colt would be defeated by the brilliant sprinter Takeover Target in the Newmarket, but bounce back to win the Challenge Stakes (1000m) in April of 2006. To finish his career, Snitzel would run 3rd in the TJ Smith and 4th in the All-Aged Stakes.

Snitzel finished among the top three in 11 of his 15 races, running into Takeover Target, Stratum and Written Tycoon consistently. It was a crop of brilliant youngsters with Written Tycoon also proving himself to be an exceptional sire at stud. Snitzel was the second foal from the broodmare, Snippets’ Lass (Snippets), making him an eventual half-brother to the sire Hinchinbrook. But at stud, Snitzel became an absolute phenomenon. The Arrowfield Stud super stallion was so dominant during 2017-18, he is set standards that are unlikely to be challenged by another sire for many years.

Snitzel stood his first three seasons at Arrowfield for $33,000, and it’s worth recalling that he dropped in fee for the following three thereafter. By 2015, Snitzel was standing for $88,000. The following season, it was $110,000. By 2019, the stallion was demanding $220,000, which reflected a dazzling list of racehorses to his name. They included Away Game, winner of the $2 million Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, along with the Gr.2 Percy Sykes Stakes and Gr.3 Widden Stakes. There was Chance Bye, winner of the Gr.2 Silver Slipper Stakes, and two-time The Everest winner Redzel. Estijaab won the Gr.1 Golden Slipper and Gr.2 Reisling Stakes, and the list goes on and on. There was seven-time stakes winner Hot Snitzel, five-time stakes winner I Am Excited, along with Menari, Sizzling, Snitzerland, Sweet Idea, Shinzo, Yearning, Summer Passage and Wandjina. Attention swung to Snitzel’s sire sons, in particular stakes winners Shamus Award, Trapeze Artist, Russian Revolution and the stallion’s only son at Arrowfield, Showtime. Snitzel's remarkable influence on Australian racing and breeding continues unabated, establishing unprecedented standards of excellence as a preeminent sire and an exceptional stallion.

RACE RECORD - 15: 7–1–3

EARNINGS - A$ 1,031,500

Breeders' Plate (2004)

Tommy Smith Slipper (2004)

Skyline Stakes (2005)

Up and Coming Stakes (2005)

Oakleigh Plate (2006)

Challenge Stakes (2006)

Australian Champion Sire (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)