Shinzo, arguably the best-bred Golden Slipper (G1)-winning colt ever to retire to stud, who was also crowned last season's champion 2-year-old, has officially joined Coolmore's Hunter Valley roster ahead of the 2024 season.
The Chris Waller-trained Shinzo, who is out of Blue Diamond (G1) and Slipper-placed mare Samaready and by a renowned sire of sires in Snitzel, clinched the title as the country's best 2-year-old by virtue of his victory in the Slipper, which came a week after he was catapulted into contention for the most coveted juvenile event in Australia courtesy of his Pago Pago Stakes (G3) demolition.
"Snitzel is a four-time champion sire of 2-year-olds and one of the greatest stallions we have seen in Australia in the modern era," Coolmore Australia principal Tom Magnier said.
"We are delighted to stand his best 2-year-old and his best-bred son at stud. The Golden Slipper has an unmatched record as a sire-making race and Shinzo has all the credentials we look for in a sire prospect, with an impeccable pedigree and incredible good looks."
Snitzel's first Golden Slipper-winning colt, Shinzo will stand for an introductory fee of AUS$55,000 in his maiden season based in the Hunter Valley, on a roster which also includes another son of Snitzel in Best Of Bordeaux, who finished runner-up in the 2022 edition of the Slipper
Ridden by Ryan Moore in his career-defining performance at Rosehill, Shinzo defeated fellow colts including Cylinder, recent winner of the Newmarket Handicap (G1), Roman Consul Stakes (G2) scorer King's Gambit as well as subsequent three-time group 1 winner Militarize and Little Brose, winner of this season's Blue Diamond.
He achieved a Timeform rating of 120 with his Slipper performance, the highest mark for a 2-year-old in 2022-23 and the biggest figure ever posted by a juvenile by Snitzel.
Waller described Shinzo as a "very special horse".
"And we knew early on when he came into our system," said Waller, who completed a Sydney Triple Crown clean sweep last autumn when Militarize subsequently won the ATC Sires' Produce Stakes (G1) and Champagne Stakes (G1).
"He has a great temperament and is the most naturally gifted 2-year-old I have ever trained. When you pair that with his great physique and pedigree, he is such a desirable stallion prospect."
Shinzo was not offered at a public auction by Coolmore. Instead, the horse was syndicated privately as a yearling amongst its colts partnership clients after being born at Coolmore's Jerry's Plains property.
Magnier paid $1.8 million for his dam Samaready at the 2020 Inglis Chairman's Sale when she was carrying the colt in utero. Samaready is also the dam of Shinzo's Magic Millions 2YO Classic-winning sister Exhilarates, who also won the Quezette Stakes (G3).
