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.
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.
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.
