Breeding giant John Messara was almost lost for words before labeling Snitzel "an absolutely amazing stallion" after third-starter Marhoona became the Arrowfield sire's third Golden Slipper (G1) winner March 22 at Rosehill Gardens.
A Slipper-winning broodmare sire four years before siring a winner of the race, Snitzel has now sired three of the Slipper's past eight winners, with Estijaab in 2018 followed by Shinzo in 2023 and now Marhoona, who gave trainer Michael Freedman his second success in the world's richest 2-year-old race.
Ridden by Damien Lane, Marhoona also continued a phenomenal run of success in the race for Emirates Park homebreds—and all tied in with Snitzel. Mossfun (out of a Snitzel daughter), Estijaab, and now Marhoona have all caused the Rosehill painter to daub the farm's famed green with white sash on one of the statues flanking the winning post.
Marhoona also matched a feat sealed 50 years ago by the outstanding Toy Show—winner of six modern group 1s—in winning the Slipper after only two previous starts.
Marhoona became Snitzel's 23rd group 1 winner, and his 155th stakes victor worldwide, at 9.6% of runners. In winning the top-flight contest, the filly became the stallion's 60th juvenile stakes winner and eighth group 1-winning 2-year-old.
In Australia, he has 143 black type victors at 10.3%—a remarkable rate to sustain through 16 crops running.
"He's a perennial super stallion—that's all I can say," Arrowfield boss Messara told ANZ Bloodstock News.
"He'll turn 23 years of age this year and he continues to throw high-class animals week after week. Three of the past eight Slipper winners; it's very good. He's an amazing stallion, a wonderful stallion.
"He's as good today as he was 15 years ago. I only wish he was half his age."
Messara, and others at Arrowfield, have been tentatively watching in recent years for signs of decline from the stallion. But while Snitzel is being managed—he'll likely serve some 80 mares this spring after covering 114 last year—those signs have not appeared.
Entering Saturday fifth on the general sires' table by earnings, he's now sprung to the top of the 2-year-old premiership, which he won in 2023, 2020, 2018, and 2017.
Marhoona's success was almost as straightforward as anyone could hope for in the helter-skelter Slipper.
She jumped well from gate 6 for Lane, who had her fifth on the fence in the run. The filly worked into the open at the 300 meters and dashed clear at the 200 meters, looking very much the winner.
But then appeared the Slipper-hungry James McDonald aboard Wodeton. The Coolmore-owned and Chris Waller-trained colt had been race favorite for weeks after his debut victory, despite running third and second in his two lead-up runs.
Finally, the market jumped off him on raceday, with Wodeton easing late while punters made Godolphin filly Tempted the favorite.
For several seconds it appeared punters had deserted Wodeton to their loss, as he tore down Marhoona's outside in the last 100 meters. Ultimately, though, the filly's break had been too big, and she clung on by 0.14 lengths.
Tempted was a further half-length away in third.
Something of a late bloomer, Marhoona didn't trial until Jan. 9, and only debuted Feb. 8, with an 0.27-length win in an 1,100-meter Canterbury maiden. She then ran a 0.33-length second to Tempted in the Reisling Stakes (G2) in a brave effort, but seemingly too little too late to scramble into the Slipper field.
Despite having just AU$85,000 to her name, she scraped in after several contenders above her dropped out. Still, Freedman had his doubts she was ready.
"If I'm being honest, I said to a few people earlier today I thought maybe it would have been nice to have had one more run under our belt," said Randwick-based Freedman after his third group 1 as a solo trainer.
"But she's a special filly.
"When she won at Canterbury, she ripped half a foot off winning that race, and I thought, 'You're tough'. She bounced back from it, went to the Reisling a month later, and it's a bit of an unusual preparation, I guess, going into a Slipper at your third start, but she's a special filly.
"It's a huge thrill for my team. I've got a lot of young, up-and-coming stars in the industry, I think, and they've had such a big part to play in this, probably a lot more than me."
