Standing at Widden Victoria, Camelot’s high class dual Group I winning son Russian Camelot (IRE) is a young stallion more expected to make his mark next season, but he’s on the board with his first winner after Morgana saluted at Mornington on Monday.
Fourth and second at her first two starts last month, the Patrick Ryan trained Morgana put race experience and fitness to good use in this 1200m juvenile maiden.
Sent to the front by Craig Newitt, she controlled the race and gave a good kick to win by half a length over blueblood Godolphin first starter Bayou Music (Street Boss (USA) x Zydeco).
Morgana was bought by her trainer for just $10,000 at the 2024 Inglis March (Late) Online Sale and he was delighted with today’s result.
“She was a cheap Inglis Online horse, but there a bit of a backstory to it," Patrick Ryan revealed after the race.
“We bought the mother and her half-sister for $700 last year, and she was stakes placed as a two-year-old.
“Morgana came up subsequently, and we bought her for $10,000. So we now own the whole family pretty much, and they look promising.
“She's really lovely, a staying filly, so we are a bit hopeful that when we stretch her out in trips, she could be really above average.”
Morgana is a half-sister to stakes-placed Bushann and is the second winner from metro winning Encosta de Lago mare Rising Hope, who comes from an international family as a grand-daughter of English Group III winner Obeah.
Rising Hope was covered again last year by Russian Camelot, who stands this spring at a fee of $16,500.
