Back-to-back Australian champion sire titles for Arrowfield's Snitzel

Snitzel, the son of his champion Arrowfield Stud-based barnmate Redoute’s Choice, has retained his title as Australia’s leading stallion for a second year in a row at the end of a season that saw a number of young sires make their presence felt.

Headed by Redzel, who claimed the inaugural A$10 million running of The Everest in Sydney, Snitzel was represented by a total of 173 winners, with 26 stakes scorers among them, for prize-money totalling A$29,243,613.

The impact of winning the Everest, which will be run for an extra A$3m this October, is clear to see, with Snitzel's nearest rival I Am Invincible more than A$13m adrift in the standings.

Snitzel, who turns 16 on Wednesday, was for from a one-horse sire though, having produced the exciting Golden Rose Stakes winner Trapeze Artist, as well as stakes winners such as Menari, I Am Excited, Perast, Snitzepeg, Snitzkraft, Dracarys, Goodfella and Showtime last season.

Arrowfield Stud principal John Messara was unsurprisingly effusive in his praise of Snitzel on Tuesday and told ANZ Bloodstock News: “He is majestic. He is the king of the kids. His figures are extraordinary this year.

“He has broken the all-time money record by a long way and, even if you take out the Golden Slipper and you take out the Everest, he is still a long way in front. He is extremely dominant.”

Snitzel's success will see him stand for A$220,000 this year, the highest advertised price in the southern hemisphere, having started his stud career at A$33,000 and bottomed out at A$22,000 during his fourth season.

“We are thrilled with the whole thing and that we have got him ourselves and the fact that he started where he started,” Messara said.

“He is a son of Redoute’s Choice who is a son of Danehill, so we have been there all the way. It has been three generations and it has been a privilege with the three of them, to be honest.”

Britain-bound Zoustar shows freshmen the way

Zoustar, who will shuttle to Tweenhills Stud in 2019, flew out of the blocks with his first crop of two-year-olds to claim leading first-season sire honours.

The Widden Stud-based son of the late Northern Meteor was aided in landing the title by his brilliant daughter Sunlight, who won two of her first three starts before taking out the valuable Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.

Zoustar: will be available to British breeders next yearCredit: Widden Stud

He sires a total of ten individual winners, also including the Group 2 winners Zousain and Lean Mean Machine, to finish the season with earnings of $3,208,694.

That figure was enough to hold off the challenge of Spirit Of Boom, who was the breakout success of the season with 18 Australian winners, including five at stakes level.

“There is no other words to describe Zoustar's first season other than phenomenal,” said Widden Stud's Ryan McEvoy.

“His earnings of over $3.2m would make him champion first-season sire in every single season prior and to finish his first season in the top three two-year-old sires by prize-money (to Snitzel and I Am Invincible) is unquestionably a sign of things to come.

“Brilliant Magic Millions and Silver Slipper winner Sunlight has been well noted but the likes of exciting colts Zousain, Lean Mean Machine and Zoustyle highlight the fact that this is a young stallion of real substance and depth to his progeny.”

Savabeel still the king across the Tasman

In New Zealand, Waikato Stud's Savabeel once again held sway, claiming his fourth consecutive champion sire title.

Savabeel, who sired six Group 1 winners during the season including the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas double with Hasahalo and Embellish respectively, sired 59 winners including 12 stakes winners for prize-money earnings of NZ$3,396,125.

"It's been another cracking season. His success, earned in so many countries, at the highest level, was huge," Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick said. "He is always giving mares a great opportunity and continually upgrading families.

"The unwritten rule is anything above five per cent of stakes winners to runners and you have a successful stallion. I think he's one of only three in Australasia at ten per cent or higher, which is freakish really."

Leading sires 2017-18

Australia

1 Snitzel(Redoute's Choice) A$29,243,613
2 I Am Invincible(Invincible Spirit) A$15,908,840
3 Fastnet Rock (Danehill) A$15,550,518
4 High Chaparral (Sadler's Wells) A$14,735,494
5 Street Cry (Machiavellian) A$12,849,160

Australia - First-season sires

1 Zoustar (Northern Meteor) A$3,208,694
2 Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) A$1,942,370
3 Sizzling (Snitzel) A$897,897
4 Epaulette (Commands) A$542,645
5 Fighting Sun (Northern Meteor) A$402,055

New Zealand

1 Savabeel (Zabeel) NZ$3,396,125
2 Iffraaj (Zafonic) NZ$1,906,527
3 Darci Brahma (Danehill) NZ$1,813,983
4 Tavistock (Montjeu) NZ$1,704,727
5 Per Incanto (Street Cry) NZ$1,485,307

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