(Credit: Race Images)
Te Akau’s unbeaten Group 1 winner Return To Conquer (Snitzel) will be an exciting new addition to the Chittick family’s Waikato Stud roster for 2026.
The son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) will begin his career in the breeding shed at a fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST).
The three-year-old colt was recently retired by Te Akau principal David Ellis after sustaining an injury.
“We thought he was the best Snitzel colt in the Magic Millions' sale when we bought him and could not fault him in any way,” Ellis said when announcing the colt’s retirement on January 29.
“Unfortunately, he has been able to race as a three-year-old due to injury sustained in a jump out, but he’s by the right sire and has the right pedigree to make a stallion. We are delighted that there are a number of interested parties in standing him, and you can understand why, he is a magnificent, physically well built and attractive individual.”
One of those ‘interested parties’ was Mark Chittick of Waikato and he revealed his delight at being able to secure the talented performer to stand on their power-packed roster.
“We’re very excited and proud to stand such a top-class racehorse with a beautiful pedigree and impeccable looks,” Waikato principal Chittick said.
“He will complement our broodmare band extremely well and to have Kia Ora remain in him adds to the excitement; the Australasian industry will get every opportunity to support him at this introductory fee.
“To stand a horse bought by one of the best judges in the industry is a real privilege, and it’s a testament to the Te Akau Racing team to have him retire with an unbeaten stakes record.”
“We’re very excited and proud to stand such a top-class racehorse with a beautiful pedigree and impeccable looks" -Mark Chittick
Return To Conquer was purchased out of Blue Gum Farm’s draft for AU$1.3 million at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Ellis, who was pushed all the way by trainer John O’Shea.
“From the moment I first inspected him at the Magic Millions' sale, he stood out,” Ellis said on Thursday.
“He was a magnificent individual - strong, athletic and beautifully balanced - with the pedigree to match. He developed into an elite racehorse under Mark [Walker] and Sam's [Bergerson] guidance, retiring unbeaten in four starts.
“All four of his victories were at stakes level, including the Sistema Stakes. Records like that are seldom found.
“Just as importantly, he has a beautiful temperament and a real presence about him. We buy these well-bred colts to compete and win at the highest level and Return To Conquer did exactly that.
“To see him retire unbeaten and now head the renowned Waikato Stud is immensely satisfying - it gives him a tremendous platform, and it is a wonderful result for the New Zealand breeding industry.”
Trained by Te Akau’s Walker and Bergerson, Return To Conquer made a winning debut in the Counties Challenge Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Pukekohe before adding Ellerslie’s Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (Gr 3, 1200m) and the Matamata Slipper (Gr 3, 1200m).
“All four of his victories were at stakes level, including the Sistema Stakes. Records like that are seldom found" -David Ellis
Returning to Ellerslie for the Sistema Stakes, the colt was sent off an odds-on chance under Blake Shinn and defeated Landlock (Merchant Navy) by 0.2 lengths to take his tally to four-from-four and land a maiden Group 1.
“He was a great athlete and it was the first time in my 30-year training career that I’d started a two-year-old first-up in a Listed race and he duly won it,” Walker said upon Return To Conquer’s retirement.
“Every one of his four starts was in a stakes' race and to win them all shows the calibre of race horse that he was.
“Winning the Group 1 was the highlight, on such a big day at Ellerslie, and to record the 100th Group 1 for the stable was incredibly special.
“We thought he was well up to Melbourne class, hence we took him to our stable at Cranbourne. However, he unfortunately injured himself in his first jumpout in the spring and we weren’t able to get him back to the races, despite our very best attempts.
“He had an unbelievable temperament for a colt, had a huge anaerobic capacity, was very clean-winded, and was always an absolute gentleman to deal with.
“I think he’ll make a high-class sire and he reminds me so much of Sword Of State. He has a similar brain, similar action, and we look forward to watching the progress of his stud career.”
With Mark and Garry Chittick at home in Matamata overseeing operations at Waikato, Mark’s sons Harry and George travelled to Te Akau Racing’s Cranbourne base, in between managing the Waikato Stud draft at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, to give Return To Conquer the final tick.
“Ben Gleeson showed him to us and he was really impressive, he has a good brain on him, and he’s such a dude,” said Harry.
“He’s a beautiful horse and very precocious. One of the things I took away was, yes, there is plenty of Snitzel in there, but there is a touch of Lonhro, too" George Chittick
“Speaking to Jamie and Chanel [Beatson, Ohukia Lodge] he was the best they broke in that year. Everything about him is impressive - from his pedigree to his performance, temperament and physical presence.”
George added: “He’s a beautiful horse and very precocious. One of the things I took away was, yes, there is plenty of Snitzel in there, but there is a touch of Lonhro, too.
“I’d be very pleased walking out to get him from the paddock each day and bringing him to the barn or showing him to clients. We’re very excited and proud to be a part of the next stallion for Waikato Stud.”
Return To Conquer is out of unraced Lonhro (Octagonal) mare Vaujany, who herself is a three-quarter sister to six-time winner Andermatt (Snitzel) being out of the Surround Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) winner and Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) runner-up Portillo (Red Ransom).
“At the end of the day, [he’s] a Group 1-winning son of Snitzel and a good specimen. To get all those things together is not easy,” Garry Chittick said. “We have a very good spread of stallions, so he fits into our mix well.”
Return To Conquer joins a star-studded Waikato roster headed by the legendary Savabeel (Zabeel), Super Seth (Dundeel), Ocean Park (Thorn Park), Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice), Banquo (Written Tycoon) and Noverre (Savabeel).
