Arriving into the world on August 24 was an impressive bay Snitzel colt, the first foal for the China Horse Club-owned Group 1 Flight Stakes winner First Seal.
A magnificent performer on the track, Fastnet Rock’s daughter First Seal, the Champion Female Sprinter of 2015/16 won five stakes races with a further six black type places from 21 career starts.
Successful in her first attempt at black type, First Seal defeated Winx and Earthquake in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes, before once again lowering the colours of Winx in the Group 1 Flight Stakes at her next start, defeating her by three lengths.
Next time out First Seal took on the boys and stepped up to the 2000m for the first time when second behind Hampton Court in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes.
A win in the Group 2 Surround Stakes at her second run back during the Autumn, First Seal went on to record two extremely narrow second placed efforts at Group 1 level, first behind older mare Plucky Belle in the Coolmore Classic, before second to Fenway in the Vinery Stud Stakes.
Successful in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes at her first start as a 4yo, First Seal showed her consistent form with a second in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes to Holler before a fourth in the Group 1 George Ryder behind Winx.
During the Spring of her 5yo season the mare went to Melbourne for the first time as scored over Tycoon Tiara and Pearls in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes before beaten just over a length in the Group 1 Myer Classic by 3yo filly I Am A Star.
After a further three runs in the Autumn, including a third behind I Am A Star in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes, the mare was retired for the next phase of her career – motherhood.
Herself a daughter of the dual Group 1 Oaks winner Episode, First Seal is a three-quarter sister to Group 2 winner Books Of Kells as well as to the stakes-placed Sacred Sword and Best Command from the family of stakes performers Macquarie Price, Harley and Becerra.
