Breeding and Bloodstock

Hidden Achievement has criss-crossed the Tasman in the past 12 months on his way to becoming one of the favourites for the $1 million JJ Atkins.

The death of champion sire Snitzel shone a light on his remarkable legacy, which includes 1281 winners, 160 stakes winners, 103 Group winners and 23 individual Group 1 winners, with still three racing crops to come. But who were his best progeny on the track? Here’s The Straight’s Top Five.

Four-time champion stallion Snitzel has died after the rising 23-year-old’s health deteriorated in recent weeks. Arrowfield’s John Messara believes the versatile stallion will leave a lasting legacy.

Neck-deep in rising floodwaters to save his broodmares and newly weaned foals, Craig Ruttley feared the worst. But the principal of Glenthorne Park Thoroughbreds says he is one of the lucky ones among the devastation left by last month’s floods in the mid-north coast of NSW.

The art of pinhooking is not for the faint hearted, but while increasing costs have made margins for investors even finer, there was still profit to be had in returning horses to the Australasian market in 2025.

The average price of a race filly through public auction in Australia has increased 55.4 per cent in just two years with total investment in mares and fillies bought ‘straight off the track’ now surpassing live auction trade of mares-in-foal. Run The Numbers breaks down this trend.

In this week’s Rowe On Monday, Riversdale celebrates You Wahng’s Queensland Oaks win, Inglis James Price on the declining foal crop, why Hellbent is tracking a champion’s stats and an American success in the Yulong colours.