Princess Shorna has taken up a new career as a nanny to weanling and yearling fillies at Arrowfield Stud after 17 years as a broodmare.
Approaching her 23rd birthday in great heart, Princess Shorna can sign off with a flourish courtesy of her last foal Snitzel’s Jewel.
Already a winner on debut at Gosford in February, Snitzel’s Jewel scored a handsome victory over 1000 metres at Warwick Farm on Saturday and will now be aimed at next month’s G3 Silver Shadow Stakes.
Snitzel’s Jewel was bred by Arrowfield & Planette Thoroughbred and purchased for $20,000 by Darby Bloodstock from the Bellerive Stud draft at the 2011 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. The chestnut filly is raced by Scott Darby, Miriam Arora, Fred Frendo’s Independent Trio Syndicate, Gary Bachell, Ray Deeb, Con Varis, Mick Pustavrh, Charles Beynon & Rob Campbell.
She is trained Gerald Ryan whose record includes 20 winners by Snitzel, among them Group winners Snitzerland, Flying Snitzel, Hot Snitzel, and Dances on Stars.
“Snitzel’s Jewel is a lovely balanced filly and was always going to grow from the time we purchased her as a weanling,” Darby said. “It’s been great to see the development she has made, she has lengthened, strengthened and has a wonderful disposition.
“From breaking to racing she has always shown ability. She was a very easy filly to syndicate and we are not sure yet just how good she is.”
Snitzel’s Jewel is among Snitzel’s 9 juvenile winners in Australia this season, and is Princess Shorna’s second winner in the past week. Last Thursday, her 3YO gelding Substation (Not A Single Doubt) won at Grafton.
Substation and Snitzel’s Jewel are the last two of Princess Shorna’s 12 foals. The best of them so far has been stakes-winning mare Hidden Wonder (Danzero) who earned almost $600,000 before being sold for $140,000 as a broodmare last year.
Descended from a sister to Hall of Fame champion Tobin Bronze, Princess Shorna is by the excellent sire Last Tycoon whose peripatetic stud career included a stint at Arrowfield. His daughters have proved invaluable, especially when crossed with Redoute’s Choice, a combination responsible for 10 SW from 40 named foals.
Interestingly, Snitzel has seen only six Last Tycoon mares, but five of them have left winners to him, notably Group 3 2YO winner Dances on Stars, one of his sire’s 18 stakes performers this season.
Snitzel is ending the 2012-13 season as Australia’s leading fourth crop sire, with prizemoney of $6.50 million. He goes into the spring with a full book of mares to serve at a fee of $49,500 (inc gst).
PRINCESS SHORNA