Emirates Park’s home-bred filly Marhoona only just made it into the field as No. 16 for the $5 million Golden Slipper S. 1200m G1, after a February debut win and a runner-up finish in the Reisling S. G2 on 8 March.
But she led her rivals home when it counted, responding with spirit under pressure, and aided by the cool judgment & impeccable navigation of international jockey Damien Lane, who landed his second Slipper winner after Kiamichi in 2019.
He said, “It really played out how we thought it might and she was great. She just was there to be beaten at the 100 metres and Wodeton got to us, she really stuck at it, so very brave.”
Marhoona is the third Golden Slipper winner for Emirates Park and Snitzel has been a key factor in all their pedigrees as the sire of Arrowfield graduate Estijaab (2018 winner) and damsire of Mossfun (2014 winner).
Add the 2023 winner, the colt Shinzo, and Snitzel is the only sire of 3 Golden Slipper winners this century, a record equalled by Wilkes and bettered only by Danehill & Star Kingdom (5 Slipper winners each).
Snitzel’s career tally of Group 1 winners now stands at 23 (eight as 2YOs), with four of them, Lady Shenandoah (Flight & Surround Stakes, Coolmore Classic), Switzerland (Coolmore Stud Stakes), Return To Conquer (Sistema S. G1) & Marhoona successful at that level this season.
Marhoona is the sixth Slipper winner for her trainer Michael Freedman, who was part of the famous Freedman brothers team, and co-trainer with his brother Richard of the 2021 winner Stay Inside.
She is a half-sister to three stakeswinners, including Group 2 winner Hilal, all out of Salma (by Encosta de Lago), whose third dam Dancing Show counts 13 Group 1 winners among her descendants, including Snitzel’s legendary sire Redoute’s Choice and Schwarz, winner of the William Reid S. G1 20 minutes after Marhoona’s Golden Slipper victory.
Snitzel now heads Australia’s current 2YO Sires’ Premiership (a title he’s already won 4 times) with $3.7 million prizemoney, and is hot on the heels of Zoustar & Pride Of Dubai on the main Premiership, with progeny earnings of $17.2 million.
Marhoona is his 155th career stakeswinner and 60th juvenile stakeswinner. Sunday’s Hong Kong Derby winner, Arrowfield Inglis Easter graduate Cap Ferrat (ex C’Est Beau la Vie) takes Snitzel’s tally to 156 stakeswinners and completes an unforgettable weekend for a very, very special stallion and the farm so privileged to stand him.
The 4-time Champion Sire has 45 lots catalogued for next month’s Inglis Easter Sale, including 7 colts & 3 fillies offered by Arrowfield.
