Popular Australian Sire Snippets Dead

Snippets, a tremendously consistent and popular Australian sire, was euthanized at Arrowfield Stud on Sunday, 20 January after a sudden illness. The decision to end his life came after the 17-year-old suffered internal haemorrhaging.

Arrowfield principal John Messara said, it was a very sad day for the stud and its staff. Snippets was buried at Arrowfield alongside Kenmare, the farm's foundation stallion.

"Snippets was a brilliant and courageous racehorse who proved himself a stallion of the highest quality," Messara said. "It was a privilege to stand him at Arrowfield on behalf of the Snippets Syndicate. He was a horse of excellent character and his courage -- he never gave up."

By Tom Fool grandson, Lunchtime, Snippets raced 14 times, collecting three Group Is to become Australia's 13th millionaire racehorse. He was named the 1987 co-champion 2-year-old of Australasia and the 1988 champion 3-year-old sprinter.
Arrowfield gained Snippets in 1994 when Trans Media closed, and led by his young sire sons Spartacus, Pins and High Rolling, his stock won more than $35 million (Australian funds). Trainers were keen to obtain his quick-maturing progeny and 25 of his yearlings averaged $108,300 with a median of $100,000 at the Magic Millions earlier this month. He was the inaugural winner of the inaugural Magic Millions Juvenile Classic.

Snippets had links to the first Northern Dancer to come south. Grand Chaudiere, sire of the top sprinter's dam Easy Date, was imported to Queensland in 1972 after being one of the backsliders in the Dancer's second generation.

The death of Snippets came soon after the loss of the also popular Nijinsky II son Yeats at 26 in Queensland. Yeats died at Oaklands, his home for many years after he started his career in the Hunter Valley, NSW in 1980 at a fledgling Woodlands. He had been pensioned last year after stopping his 18 mares.

He was from the extremely well-connected Lisadell, a sister to Special, dam of stakes winners Nureyev, Number (dam of Jade Robbery), Bound, and Fairy Bridge (dam of Sadler's Wells, Tate Gallery, Fairy King and Perugino).