Mr Mozart can be a hard horse to catch, though there is no denying his talent, which was on full display when he turned over the favourite Artorius in Saturday's Listed Exford Plate (1400m) at Flemington.
Fred Kersley had the flashy son of Snitzel travelling sweetly on the fence behind the pacesetting Blushing Tycoon. Switched outside the leader at the point of the turn, Mr Mozart kept up a strong gallop to hold the challenge of the Flying Artie colt Artorius by a half-neck with the winner's stablemate, the Fastnet Rock colt, Hilal a further long-neck back in third.
Trained by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, Mr Mozart was winning for the first time since his career debut triumph at Warwick Farm in March.
He opened his 3yo campaign with a pleasing fourth in the Group III Vain stakes won by Ingratiating before a slightly disappointing sixth in the Group III McNeil Stakes at his most recent start.
"He did a really good job. His first-up run was really, really good and then second-up at Caulfield, it was a similar sort of run, and he just didn't have the sprint like they did second-up," Wayne Hawkes said.
"But with 1400 metres at Flemington, 200 metres in the racing industry is a hell of a long way, but when you go from a 1200 metre race to 1400, with most young horses, it throws a real curveball.
"We see it in the Slipper to the Sires' Produce every year. Lots of horses over race and do the wrong thing, so we were really looking forward to Mr Mozart getting out to 1400, and he did a good job.
"When you're at Flemington. you just can't wait for that winning post, and when you're screaming home, you don't want it to be there.
I told dear old dad that he’s a Caulfield Guineas horse, Mr Mozart, when he worked about three weeks ago, so that is looking pretty good.”
Winning rider Fred Kersley said Mr Mozart has his quirks.
“It was a great performance. He’s obviously quite a difficult horse to ride. We’ve seen his last two runs at Caulfield and he’s doing a lot wrong. He’s still green and raw,” Kersley said.
“Wayne and the team really left it open to me. He began well, but urprised me that he didn’t get up on the bridle as much as he has been his last few starts.”
A homebred for the group that raced his talented dam Euro Angel, Mr Mozart advances his record to two wins from five starts with earnings of $150,450.
Mr Mozart is the first foal of Euro Angel. A daughter of Rip Van Winkle, Euro Angel was trained by Team Hawkes to win the Group III MRC Ladies Day Vase and split In Her Time and Daysee Doom in the Group II Millie Fox Stakes at Rosehill.
Bred by Windsor Park Stud, Euro Angel was the third yearling purchase by Team Hawkes out of the imported Polish Precedent mare Polish Princess (GB).
The first was the talented Polish Knight (Encosta de Lago), a $420,000 buy that won the Group II ATC Tulloch Stakes and was runner-up in the Group 1 ATC Derby.
The second was the tough-as-teak Zabeel gelding Leebaz a four-time Group winning millionaire purchased for $460,000 at the 2011 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling sale.
A $200,000 purchase at the 2014 NZB Premier Yearling sale, Euro Angel is the fifth foal of Polish Princess, purchased by Windsor Park for 75,000 guineas out of the Meon Valley Stud draft at the 2004 Tattersalls October Yearling sale.
Polish Princess (GB) did her racing in New Zealand, where she was a Listed stakes-winner in a career of four wins and six placings from 11 starts. and she placed in the Group 1 ARC Champions Mile.
A granddaughter of Meon Valley Stud's Broodmare Of The Year, Reprocolor, Polish Princess died in 2018.
Euro Angel has a 2yo sister to Mr Mozart named Angel Flight.
After missing in 2019, Euro Angel foaled a Pierro last spring colt on August 25.
Mr Mozart becomes the 113th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud's multiple champion stallion Snitzel
