Dam of Australian Derby hero Jon Snow sold and set for Snitzel

Orinda, the dam of this season's Australian Derby hero Jon Snow, has been sold privately to Peter Yip of the Hong Kong Breeders' Club, a partner in Highview Farm in New Zealand, and is due for a date with Snitzel.

The nine-year-old Orinda was a dual winner in New Zealand and is by O'Reilly out of a winning daughter of Zabeel and three-time Group 1 heroine Solveig.

Jon Snow, a son of Iffraaj who also won the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes in Australia and was third in the Derby in his native New Zealand, is the mare's first foal.

Orinda, who was previously owned by Jon Snow's breeder Richard Moore, has a two-year-old colt by Showcasing and a yearling filly by Pins and is carrying a full-sibling to Jon Snow.

"I bought Orinda on behalf of Peter, my business partner in the farm here," Brent Gillovic of Highview Stud in New Zealand told the NZ Racing Desk.

"He's had a share in Snitzel right from the outset so we had to get a mare that justified going to him. We had a great yearling sales series at Karaka with the Snitzels – we got NZ$525,000 for one and a couple of others at NZ$210,000 and NZ$130,000.

"We also sold a son of Snitzel called Hypnotist for NZ$240,000 at Karaka a couple of years ago. He has won two from two, including an impressive win at Newcastle on Tuesday.

"I was talking to [bloodstock agent] Michael Otto and he mentioned that this mare could possibly be bought and I didn't need any convincing given her pedigree and she's a nice deep-bodied type."

Orinda will now foal down at Attunga Stud before being covered by Snitzel at Arrowfield Stud, where the son of Redoute's Choice has had his fee increased to A$176,000.

NZ Racing Desk also reports that Rising Romance, a New Zealand-bred daughter of Ekraar who won the Australian Oaks, has been sold as a broodmare prospect to Arrowfield Stud.