Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday May 16

In times past, many a racing tragic would have nursed a sore head at Wallabadah on New Year’s Day.

Those present in 2018 would have seen Brett Cavanough and Billy Cray bookend the meeting with the odds-on favourite Still Undaunted in the feature Wallabadah Cup and the 3-year-old Snitzel filly Avocado in a 950m maiden.

It was to be Avocado’s second and final start, having beaten a couple of stragglers home in a maiden at Muswelbrook on debut for Peter and Paul Snowden, after which she had been sold online for $16,000.

Two years later, Avocado was back in the ring at the National Broodmare Sale, in foal to Nicconi. Snitzel’s growing reputation as a broodmare sire combined with Avocado’s brother, soon to be stakes-winner Spending to Win, performing at the top level, the daughter of Snitzel carried an $80,000 reserve.

She failed to make it and returned to Widden Stud, where it took her third foal to be the first winner.   

El Morzillo was a $50,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Kelly Schweida from the Widden Stud draft.

El Morzillo a $50,000 Inglis Classic yearling

Advertisement

The daughter of Star Witness made her career debut in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes at Eagle Farm in December, finishing second to the highly-regarded Barbie’s Sister.

After breaking her maiden at the Sunshine Coast, El Morzillo ventured south for the $2,000,000 Inglis Millennium at Randwick and never saw daylight at any stage, going to the line under a strong hold, to be beaten two and a half lengths in ninth.

After a six-week break, El Morzillo again had little luck when caught off the track to finish third at Eagle Farm.

You would be wrong if you thought El Morzillo had used up all her bad luck.

The $1,000,000 Group II Percy Sykes Stakes at Randwick attracted a top field, including the Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot.

El Morzillo started at $51, and it is not a stretch to say she should have fought out the finish. By the time she found clear air, it was too late. She rocketed to the line to finish fourth behind Eneeza, Lady Of Camelot, and Erno’s Cube.

El Morzillo lines up in Saturday’s $300,000 Group II Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200m) at Doomben as the most experienced runner in the field. She will oppose an army of Southerners, which includes the boom Harry Angel (IRE) colt Angel Capital, the impressive Written Tycoon filly Rich Dottie, and the $900,000 yearlings Bosustow (Blue Point) and President (I Am Invincible), and the Snitzel colt Bittercreek, who has two stakes placings from as many starts. Another local hope is the Zousain colt Zouna, who has two wins and a third from his three stats.

Star Witness has enjoyed tremendous support from breeders, but his star was on the wane when he covered Avocado in 2020. She was one of 49 mares that produced 41 foals, by some way the smallest crop in his first 12 seasons. It was back to business the following season when his fee was dropped to $16,500, encouraging 118 mares.

Avocado’s dam, Madame Trop Vite  (IRE), was a top 2-year-old for trainer Kevin Ryan. The daughter if Invincible Spirit won the Group II Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster and Listed St Hugh’s Stakes at Newbury but failed to train on.

Avocado

She comes from a black-type-laden German family descending from the Charlottown (GB) mare Ghana, a three-quarter sister to the Group 1 Irish Oaks heroine Gaia (Charlottesville).

Gaia’s son Sir Daniel (Sir Ivor) stood with moderate success in Australia. At the same time, her daughter Galetto (Nijinsky) produced Authaal (USA), who won the Irish St Leger, the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the VATC Underwood Stakes.

From the first and only crop of foals sired by Shergar, Authaal had a bit to make up as he was a 325,000 guineas weanling before breaking the European record for a yearling at Goffs when he was bought for 3.1 million guineas on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed.

Avocado has a yearling colt by Zousian, a $110,000 Magic Millions purchase for Kelly Schweida.

After foaling a filly by Dirty Work last spring, Avocado was among the first to visit Sebring’s Group II Todman Stakes winner Sejardan.

Advertisment
More Reading...
More Aussie Purchases at Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale Day 3
Strong trade continued on the third day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale headed by the two-year-old LA BELLOTA at 425,000 guineas with eight lots realising 200,000 guineas or more and a clearance rate above 90%.
Kia Ora-bred graduates make an impression in Hong Kong
Kia Ora Stud had reason to celebrate on Thursday 31 October after waking up to news of two graduates’ success in Hong Kong overnight.
Strong Trade Continues at Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale
Strong trade continued on the fourth day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale with an interesting horse set to join the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald stable as turnover has already soared to be the second highest in the sale’s history with the fifth and final session still to come. 
Flightline and Cogburn Shares Highlight Inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale
Stallion shares in Horse of the Year and exciting young sire Flightline and also Widden Stud's new shuttle prospect Cogburn changed hands at the inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale.
Golden Eagle – Let’s Try and Find the Winner
The $10million ATC Golden Eagle (1500m) is a race that has gone from strength to strength since being first run in 2019, so we’ve taken a look at what’s happened so far in our quest to narrow the 20 strong field in search of this year’s winner.
Derby Dreaming, Who is Bred to Stay?
The Group I VRC Victoria Derby at Flemington on Saturday is worth a whopping $2 million and the testing trip of 2500m means a lot of horses are not going to see it out strongly and this looks a competitive year with a Group I winner coming down from Sydney that has a picket fence next to his name and plenty of locals to take him on, so let’s see what the pedigrees have to say.
Star Witness Filly on Track for $2million Inglis Millennium
A $50,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Kelly Schweida from the Widden Stud draft, talented Star Witness filly El Morzillo gained valuable Black Type when finishing a game second on debut in the $200,000 Listed BRC Calaway Gal Stakes last month and was subsequently eased with the Inglis Millennium in mind.
One to Watch – Wyong
There would not be a better bred mare racing anywhere in Australia on Thursday than this one and she scored at Wyong with ears pricked.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 31
Here is the full list of 35 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Invincible Spirit Retired at Age 27
The Irish National Stud has announced the retirement of Invincible Spirit, the sire of 22 individual Group I winners worldwide, including leading European sire Kingman, and also in Australia he has had a profound influence as the sire of our reigning champion sire I Am Invincible.