Dan Morton crossed the Nullarbor with his 4yo mare Kissonallforcheeks and the daughter of Written Tycoon made an immediate impression on her Eastern seaboard bow in the $200,000 Group III Shaftesbury Avenue Hcp (1400m) at Flemington.
That's the way to announce yourself (image Grant Courtney)
With Mark Zahra in the saddle, Kissonallforcheeks was untroubled to defeat the 4yo Smart Missile gelding Crosshaven by two and a quarter lengths with the 8yo Mossman gelding Morvada three-quarter of a length back in third.
“That’s why we’re here. She’s a high-class mare but it’s not until you get here and everything settles down and get the job done,” Morton said.
“That was pretty impressive, I thought.
“She’s a four-year-old mare and quite often a trip away does them a world of good. With a bit of luck, if the weather clears up, we’ll head up north.
“We were tempted to bring her last year at this time but she was just a bit new and I couldn’t keep my hands on her at that point.
“But we were patient and she got the job done today.
“There’s a couple of nice races coming up here and in Sydney as well. We’ll let the dust settle first.”
Kissonallforcheeks looks the part (image Grant Courtney)
After finishing sixth at her career debut in the Crystal Slipper as a 2yo in November 2019, Kissonallforcheeks missed a place twice in her next 16 starts. She had three black-type victories highlighted by the Group III R J Peters Stakes (1500m) at Ascot and placed in the Group 1 Railway Stakes and Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes.
A $120,000 purchase by Morton Racing out of the Newhaven Park draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Kissonallforcheeks advances her record to nine wins, five seconds, and two thirds from 19 starts with earnings of $908,765.
Kissonallforcheeks a $120,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling
Bred by Graham Dawes, Kissonallforcheeks is the best of two winners from three to race out of the accomplished Blackfriars mare Rosie Rocket who numbered the Listed WATC Starstruck Classic and Listed La Trice Classic among her nine wins while banking $436,975.
From the famed Ripeck family of Epsom Oaks heroine Bireme, Coronation Cup and Princess of Wales's Stakes winner Bouy (GB) and Jersey Stakes winner Fluke, Rosie Rocket has a yearling colt by Russian Revolution that was passed in short of jhis $150,000 reserve at the Inglis Classic,
She foaled an All Too Hard filly last spring and was covered by Ole Kirk.
