In The Congo to stand first season at Newgate for $33,000

Golden Rose Stakes winner to take up stud duties alongside fellow sons of Snitzel Russian Revolution and Wild Ruler

Outstanding Group 1-winning three-year-old sprinter In The Congo (Snitzel) has been retired and will stand his first covering season at Newgate Farm for an introductory fee of $33,000 (inc GST). 

The free-running son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) retires the winner of three of his 15 starts, headed by his career-defining victory in the stallion-making Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), in which he defeated the nine-time Group 1 winner and champion colt Anamoe (Street Boss). 

In The Congo is the second son by four-time champion sire Snitzel in as many weeks to be announced as joining the stallion ranks in the Hunter Valley later this year, after Best Of Bordeaux. 

In The Congo’s ability to race consistently at the highest level has Newgate’s managing director Henry Field confident the imposing entire can add quality to the growing depth of the stud farm’s stallion roster.

“The thing that is so appealing about In The Congo is that he was a really elite Group 1-winning three-year-old sprinter who was very, very fast. He did it from the start of [his three-year-old] season, right to the end,” Field told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday. 

“He started the season beating a host of good colts in the time-honoured San Domenico and was gallant all the way to the end of the season when he almost won The Galaxy, having run so well in the Arrowfield [3YO Sprint Stakes] when splitting Mazu and Paulele. 

“The jewel in the crown was winning the Golden Rose and beating a phenomenal field of colts, including Anamoe, Artorious, while he narrowly got beaten by Anamoe in the Run To The Rose. 

 

“His form was impeccable and he is the most magnificent horse, physically, with great muscle-tone, 16 hands and an absolute bullseye.”

Purchased by Newgate Farm and China Horse Club for $350,000 from the Newhaven Park draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in 2020, In The Congo was sent into training with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and made an immediate impression when breaking his maiden at the first time of asking over 1100 metres at Randwick-Kensington in May 2021, a victory which was followed by a runner-up finish on his only other start as a juvenile. 

However, it was during his three-year-old year the colt thrived, kicking off the season with a second-place finish behind subsequent Group 1 winner Paulele (Dawn Approach) in The Rosebud (Listed, 1100m). 

The colt reversed the form with Paulele on his next start when running out a ready winner of the 2021 renewal of the San Domenico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Kembla Grange.

After finishing second to Godolphin’s outstanding colt Anamoe in the Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m), In The Congo got the better of that rival on their next clash by taking out the Golden Rose, winning the race in 1:21.46 seconds, the fastest time recorded since the race was rebranded to its prevailing name in 2003.

During his autumn campaign as a three-year-old, In The Congo was narrowly beaten into third place against older horses in The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m), before finishing second behind Mazu (Maurice) in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m). 

In The Congo becomes the third son of Snitzel to join the roster at Newgate Farm, joining Group 1-producing stallion Russian Revolution, who was crowned champion first season sire last year and is on course to win the champion second season sire title, as well as AJ Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) winner Wild Ruler, who will cover his second book of mares in 2023, having courted a book of 175 mares at a fee of $38,500 (inc GST) last year. 

In The Congo, who earned $1.76 million in prize-money in his career, retires to stud as the highest Timeform-rated three-year-old by Snitzel in the last five years and Field believes the stallion joins their roster with better three-year-old credentials than both his barnmates Russian Revolution and Wild Ruler. 

“It is fair to say we have had good success with sons of Snitzel,” Field said. “We’ve won Group 1s with Russian Revolution and Wild Ruler and, given that In The Congo was a better three-year-old than both of those colts, and certainly higher rated by Timeform than Russian Revolution, he goes to stud with as good credentials, if not better, than Russian Revolution and we are very optimistic that he will make the grade. 

“In The Congo is the fastest Golden Rose Stakes winner in history and he was a very good horse. He was certainly one of the fastest colts of his generation and, very importantly, the highest Timeform-rated son of Snitzel in the last five years.”

In The Congo is one of two winners out of the three-time Grade 1-winning South African champion mare Via Africa (Var). His pedigree, coupled with his race record, makes his fee of $33,000 outstanding value, according to Newgate Farm stud manager Jim Carey. 

“As a racehorse, In The Congo had enormous class and speed, genetically he’s by a Champion sire out of a Champion racemare, and physically he is just exceptional,” Carey said. 

“These three criteria are historically great indicators of future high-level stallion success. He’s a deadset penalty kick for commercial breeders this season.”

Co-trainer Bott is confident In The Congo has the credentials to make his mark in the breeding shed. 

“In The Congo is the best three-year-old sprinter I’ve ever trained,” said Bott. 

“He consistently displayed A-grade Group 1 form and incredible raw speed for his entire three-year-old season. 

“As a four-year-old, it’s fair to say he didn’t come up as well and probably had other things on his mind. However, at three he was outstanding, beating the best and always displaying that brilliant, sustained speed. He has the profile of a stallion that we will be aggressively supporting in the yearling market in the years to come.”

In The Congo will stand his first season alongside multiple Group 1 winner State Of Rest (Starspangledbanner), who it was announced earlier this week will stand his first season at Newgate for an introductory fee of $44,000 (inc GST). 

“State Of Rest is as good as fully booked and we are just going to work through and pick and choose the mares, but the response has been very pleasing,” Field said. 

Coolmore last week announced Group 2 winner and Golden Slipper runner-up Best Of Bordeaux, who was also placed in the Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at three. The stallion will stand for a fee of $27,500 (inc GST) this year.