A $50,000 Classic Yearling Sale purchase from the Widden Stud draft, Star Witness filly El Morzillo won the $1m Inglis Sprint (1200m) at Flemington today as Kelly Schweida delivered a fairytale result for connections.
Things didn’t start well for El Morzillo, who missed the start for jockey Craig Williams and settled second last but she showed an amazing turn of speed down the Flemington straight to score a strong victory in the feature.
El Morzillo wins the Inglis Sprint - image Grant Courtney
It was a second career win for El Morzillo – who also contested last year’s $2m Inglis Millennium - from 12 starts and took her earnings to $971,000.
It’s been an incredible ride for the ownership group after Schweida paid just $50,000 for El Morzillo at the 2023 Classic Yearling Sale, where she was offered by her breeder Widden Stud.
“It’s a great result for the owners, we targeted this race a long way out because it’s crazy money on offer,’’ Schweida said.
“It’s a really good incentive, Inglis do a great job, their Race Series is fantastic.
“To win a race like this, it’s amazing, it’s great for the owners, it keeps them going, they keep reinvesting and they’ll be at the Premier Sale the next few days going again.’’
The Queenslanders get the cash with El Morzillo - image Grant Courtney
Widden will offer El Morzillo’s Dirty Work half sister (ex Avocado) as lot 50 at Oaklands tomorrow on Day 1 of the Premier Yearling Sale.
Widden’s Antony Thompson said of the relation: “She’s a lovely filly, nice pedigree, before today she was a really attractive proposition on pedigree and type alone anyway.
“She’s a filly that would stand out regardless but today’s result really increases the focus and the attention that she’ll receive tomorrow.’’
The filly is also a half-sister to the very smart Hong Kong based 4YO Steps Ahead, who runs in the Hong Kong Classic Cup on Sunday, the second leg of the 4YO Triple Crown.
The half-sister by Dirty Work to El Morzillo, click to see her page.
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Schweida also wins a pair of Swarovski Optik binoculars for being the winning trainer of an Inglis Race Series event.
Today’s victory saw Schweida jump into equal second position in the Inglis Race Series Theault Trainers’ Challenge.
That battle now heads to the next race in the series, the Inglis Challenge at Scone in May.
Today’s Inglis Sprint third placegetter Hot Digity Boom ensured his owners enjoyed a huge pay day too by being the first Inglis Pink Bonus-eligible runner home.
In doing so, connections won the $200,000 bonus attached to the race which, on top of their third-place prizemoney, saw them take home an incredible $290,000.
“It’s amazing, what a scheme. To come here and win $200,000 for running third, plus $90,000 for the prizemoney, it’s outstanding. It’s like winning a Group 1,’’ Hot Digity Boom’s part owner Shona Drechsler said.
“This is my biggest win ever in ownership and we didn’t even win the race! I was pretty much screaming my lungs out!’’
Off the track, Peta Tait won a $500 cash card for being the strapper of the Best Turned Out horse ahead of the sprint, Daggers, from the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable.
Inglis Bloodstock Consultant Sinead Flannery judged Daggers to be the best presented horse for the $1m sprint.
The Best Turned Out Award is won ahead of every race in the Inglis Race Series and is a reward for the strappers who work so hard in the industry
