Dracarys a glowing star for Snitzel

by Renée Geelen

Queensland owners of the up and coming stallion Dracarys are thrilled with the start he has made with his first crop of two year-olds. The son of Snitzel had only 21 foals in his first crop, and he’s already clocked up two two year-old winners with I’m Pinker (Dracarys-Rendina, by Reset) and Harch Road (Dracarys-Janssen, by Raheeb) and both his other two runners are placed with Oberoi Princess (Dracarys-On The Natural, by Dehere) running second in each of her three starts in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. “We acquired Dracarys very late in the season in his first season and that’s why he only has a small first crop,” said managing owner Justin Stivano. “To have two winners and two placegetters from his first four runners is a great achievement. There’s a solid interest in him from trainers, and we are really excited by the support he’s getting.”

His first crop sold well as yearlings, up to $80,000, and most of those sales horses have now been named. I’m Pinker was a $35,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast graduate and now has earnings of $45,400 from her debut win and three placings at her only four starts for trainer Clinton Taylor, Harch Road ran fourth in debut and won at his second start. Dracarys had over fifty foals in his second crop, and those yearlings sold up to $50,000 in 2023.

A million-dollar yearling, Dracarys comes from the successful Arrowfield Stud who stand his four-time Champion Stallion sire Snitzel. Dracarys made the perfect start to his racing career with a win on debut over 1000m as a February two year-old for trainers Team Snowden. Pushed into the Gr2 Skyline Stakes for his second start, he struggled in the heavy going running mid-field before being spelled. He had one more run as a very late two year-old, running second behind future Listed Canberra Guineas winner Assimilate. He finished his two year-old season with a win and a placing from three starts. Dracarys first race as a three year-old proved he was worth his yearling price as he won the Gr3 Up & Coming Stakes in fine fashion.

“In well over 100 years of racing at Randwick no horse has ever run the 1300m distance faster than that achieved by Snitzel colt Dracarys this past Saturday, stopping the clock in 1:14.76, the first horse ever to break 1:15 for the distance,” said purchaser James Harron. Behind him that day was Gold Standard (another young sire to have a Gr1 winner from his first crop), Gr1 winner Trapeze Artist, Gr1 winner Ace High, and Sanctioned who ran fourth in the Gr1 Spring Champion Stakes. Dracarys had two more starts that spring before injury sent him to the spelling paddock for eighteen months, but like many horses carrying injuries, he didn’t return to form and was retired after just one start as a four year-old in the Listed Ortensia Stakes.

“He did a suspensory ligament injury in the Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes when finishing sixth in a field of twenty, and we think he may have been clipped by another horse in the run. He spent a long time off the scene after that and wasn’t the same when he finally returned to the races,” said Stivano. “It is hard to find a Snitzel in Queensland, or anywhere else for that matter, with the combination of his proven speed at group level and the depth of pedigree on his damside.”

Horses that sell for a million dollars tend to have outstanding pedigrees to match their athletic physique and Dracarys is a son of Champion Sire Snitzel from dual Listed winner Nocturnelle (Elusive Quality). Nocturnelle won six races in her career and has done an excellent job as a broodmare. Dracarys is her first foal, and her second foal is city winner Nasaayim (Redoute’s Choice) who won three races, two of those as a two year-old. Nasaayim sold as a breeding prospect at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $750,000. Dracarys second dam, Dama De Noche, won the Gr3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes and two Listed races, and as well as Nocturnelle, Dama De Noche also left group placed winner Yee

Cheong Baby (Sebring), group placed winner Seduced (Encosta de Lago), stakes placed winner Catch Your Eyes (Encosta de Lago), and city winner Tornadoes (Exceed and Excel) who won fifteen races. Further back, Dracarys’ fourth dam is Gr3 Nell Gwyn Stakes winner Martha Stevens (Super Concorde). Of interest to linebreeding enthusiasts, Dracarys’ sire and dam are both bred on the Danehill/Snippets cross, making Dracarys 3mx4f to Danehill and 3fx3f to Snippets.

Multiple Champion Sire Snitzel has 135 stakes winners, and is starting to make his mark as a sire of sire with Shamus Award doing so well recently with his five Gr1 winners; Incentivise, Duais, El Pratroness, Media Award, and Mr Quickie. Other young sires such as Russian Revolution, Spill the Beans, Trapeze Artist, and Sword of State all look like carrying on the legacy for Snitzel. With a strong pedigree, good looks (as evidenced by his own sale price), and group winning speed, Dracarys is a good option for Queensland breeders.

Dracarys (Snitzel-Nocturnelle, by Elusive Quality) standing in 2023 at Oakwood Farm Qld for $6,600 inc gst, with LFG.

BB