Hinchinbrook Compares Favourably With Snitzel

The success of sire siblings is not uncommon and Australian breeders are lucky to have access to a couple of proven high class sibling sires this spring, albeit priced very differently. Three-quarter brothers Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock) from Yarraman are currently filling the quinella on the Australian Three Year Old Sires List. While Snitzel is now well established as an elite sire of 59 stakes-winners with progeny earnings topping $75 million, Hinchinbrook is still on the rise and just where he finishes remains to be seen. With his oldest progeny just four year-olds, Hinchinbrook was the Champion Australian First Season Sire of 2014/2015 and has made good progress since. At a comparative point in their stud careers, Hinchinbrook compares more than favourably with Snitzel, whose service fee this year has risen to $176,000.

Snitzel’s seven stakes- winners at the time his oldest progeny were four year-olds were: Hot Snitzel, Chance Bye, Salade, Snitzerland, Flying Snitzel, Dances on Stars and Zelsnitz. Hot Snitzel and Snitzerland would subsequently go on to win at Group I level, but at this point in his stud career they were not Group I winners.

Hinchinbrook’s nine stakes-winners are headed by dual Group I winner Press Statement, Group II winners Whispering Brook, Derryn, Samara Dancer, Diamond Tathagata, Group III winners Spright and Flying Jess as well as stakes-winners Flippant and Manaya.

Snitzel covered fairly modest books of mares in his first four seasons, so a comparison to Hinchinbrook is meaningful if we are to project just how far Hinchinbrook can progress. From 2012 to 2015, Snitzel covered 200 plus books of mares, so with vast numbers running for him is powering towards his first Australian Champion Sire Title, so increased opportunity has certainly taken him to a whole new level.

Only a Group III winner when he retired to stud, Hinchinbrook was priced at $16,500 for his first five seasons before being bumped up to $38,500 last year in the wake of his burgeoning success. Better quality mares will undoubtedly help his cause and further success on the track in the past 12 months has seen his fee jump again this year to $44,000. Snitzel has the runs on the board and is priced accordingly, but we believe Hinchinbrook, who is priced at a quarter of that fee, might be the value bet in the long term.