Buyers in search of that winning feeling need venture no further than Arrowfield Stud’s 24-strong consignment at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale which begins on Sunday, March 1.
In the past five years alone, purchasers of Arrowfield yearlings in Melbourne have left Oaklands with Group 1 winner Snitzerland, Group 2 winners Flying Snitzel, Hot Snitzel & Honorine and Group 3 winner Aliyana Tilde.
Then there’s stakeswinners like Crack A Roadie, Gold Force, Road Trippin’, brilliant Perth sprinter Smoko and champion Singapore three-year-old Stepitup.
It’s a list that keeps on growing: the latest addition is the Australia Day debut stakes winner Burnstone, a graduate of Arrowfield’s Melbourne “Class of 2014″ who sadly died before racing again.
Recent Hong Kong winners Blizzard and Winning Novel head a further group of 22 city-winning Arrowfield Melbourne graduates since 2010.
Snitzerland is among the more expensive yearlings sold by Arrowfield at Melbourne Premier in that period. After six Group victories, including the 2014 VRC Lightning S. G1, and $1.9 million prizemoney, no-one could doubt she was worth every dollar of the $125,000 bid by Darby Racing and paid by her owners Neil Werrett & Steve McCann.
Stepitup cost $90,000 but has earned $S1.3 million in a nine-win career featuring five Singapore Group successes for his owner the Tivic Stable.
Chris & Michael Ward’s Triple Crown Syndications have fished regularly in Arrowfield’s waters, landing Hot Snitzel and Flying Snitzel whose combined earnings have returned more than 14 times the $85,000 needed to buy them both. They also bought El Sasso who resumed with a win at Warwick Farm last month.
Cranbourne trainer Stephen Theodore kept it simple and bought full brothers by Charge Forward from Road to Damascus, the first in 2011 for $22,500, the second in 2012 for $40,000. They turned out to be Listed stakeswinners Road Trippin’ and Crack A Roadie, winners of almost $650,000 between them.
Robbie Griffiths paid just $40,000 for Burnstone who became the 29th two-year-old stakeswinner by Redoute’s Choice when he won the $120,000 MRC Blue Diamond Preview LR by 3.5 lengths at his first start. His half-brother by Starcraft from Merlene de Lago will be offered by Arrowfield at Oaklands this year.
Four purchases by South Africa’s Form Bloodstock have all won and include Honorine (Turffontein Camellia S. G2 & Group 1-placed at two), juvenile Group performer Nisa’s Machine and recent 3YO winner Alice Springs.
Arrowfield’s consignment for Melbourne in 2015 is at short odds to extend that spectacular record. Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer’s picks from the draft are:
Lot 46: Smart Missile – Bianca filly – “Smart precocious type in the mould of her quality racemare mother.”
Lot 245: Snitzel – Lady Annaliese colt – “Big, strong colt typical of so many of the good Snitzels.”
Lot 218: Gio Ponti – Illusionary filly – “Beautiful filly who looks a late two-year-old type with potential to become a Classic filly at 3.”
Lot 258: Redoute’s Choice-Possessed colt – “Handsome, strong, quality colt, sure to be admired.”
Lot 616: Smart Missile – Zabelka colt – “Well-balanced athletic type with lots of scope and strength.”
The Arrowfield draft will be available for inspection from noon on Tuesday 24 February and the Stud’s hospitality marquee will open on Wednesday morning 25 February.