Hot Snitzel Spices Up the G1 BTC Cup

In a banner day for jockey Blake Shinn, Hot Snitzel (Aus) scored a major upset in the G1 BTC Cup at 25-1 odds. A tough campaigner who had been runner-up in the 2011 G1 T. J. Smith S. over 1600 meters as a juvenile, Hot Snitzel had not visited the winner’s circle in over a year, scoring in the G3 Hall Mark S. in late April of 2014. Sixth in last year’s edition of the G1 BTC Cup, he ran eighth in the G1 Doomben 10,000 last May and ninth in the G2 Magic Millions QTC Cup over 1300 meters later that month. Spelled for seven-plus months and with a further two unplaced efforts upon return–when seventh in the G3 Southern Cross S. at Randwick on Valentine’s Day and 10th over soft ground in the G3 Liverpool City Cup Feb. 28–Hot Snitzel ran an encouraging third in the 1200-meter G3 Irresistible Star Kingdom S. at Rosehill Mar. 28 in his final start for trainer Gerald Ryan. Transferred to the training duo of Peter and Paul Snowden for this appearance, the gelding raced well-covered in the middle of the pack, while keeping tabs on the leaders through the early going. The chestnut emerged from the bunching field with 300 meters yet to run and ground into second with a furlong remaining, before taking command a few strides from the wire for a career high. It was the fifth win on the day for pilot Blake Shinn, who scored in the G1 The Bundaberg Rum Doomben Cup aboard Pornichet (Fr) (Vespone {Ire}) the race before. Hot Snitzel will now target the G1 Stradbroke H. June 6. “I was so impressed by this horses’s enthusiasm especially for a rising 7-year-old,” Shinn told Racing Post. Added conditioner Peter Snowden, “He’s a horse who can be a bit quirky, but the key with him is to keep him fresh and give him time between races. Our original plan was this race and the QTC Cup, but the way he won today we’ll probably head towards the Stradbroke.” Hot Snitzel hails from the same family as European champion Russian Rhythm (Kingmambo), Irish champion Alydaress (Alydar), and English highweight Cape Cross (Ire) (Green Desert).

Saturday, Doomben, Australia
UBET BTC CUP-G1, A$500,000 (US$401,207), DOO, 5-9, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:09.47, gd. 
1–sHOT SNITZEL (AUS), 129, g, 6, by Snitzel (Aus)
     1st Dam: Flames of Paris, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
     2nd Dam: Balidaress (Ire), by Balidar (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Innocence (GB), by Sea Hawk II (Fr)
(A$60,000 yrl ‘10 INGPRE). O-Triple Crown Syn 
(Mgr: C Ward), R Martin, Mrs D Graham, G 
Woodman, S Nolan, J Karaca, Mrs K Rigg, R N K 
Rigg, B Nolan, Mrs J Nolan, D Willis, A Powell, Ms A 
Engelen, A Di Giovanni & A & P Nicholls Syn (Mgr: A 
Nicholls); B-Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd (Aus); T-Peter & 
Paul Snowden; J-Blake Shinn. A$320,000. Lifetime 
Record: 34-8-5-3, A$1,221,850. Werk Nick Rating:
C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Knoydart (Aus), 129, g, 5, More Than Ready–Regal 
Cheer (Aus), by Arena (Aus). O-Godolphin; B-Darley 
(Aus); T-John O’Shea. A$100,000. 
3–Our Boy Malachi (Aus), 129, g, 6, Top Echelon (Aus) 
–Rusticate (Aus), by Rustic Amber (Ire). O-R M 
Donovan, Mrs K A Donovan & Miss J M Donovan; 
B-Miss J M Donovan (Aus); T-Michael, Wayne & John 
Hawkes. A$50,000. 
Margins: 3/4, SNK, 1 1/4. Odds: 25.00, 16.00, 2.10. 
Also Ran: Bring Me the Maid (Aus), Scissor Kick (Aus), Big Money (Aus), Temple of Boom (Aus), Srikandi (Aus), Nostradamus (Aus), Fontelina (Aus), El Roca (Aus), Cape Kidnappers (Aus), Villa Verde (Aus). Scratched: Trust in a Gust (Aus), Sacred Star (Aus), Time For War (Aus). 
Click for the Racing Post result, or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.