Facing the starter for just the second time in her racing career, the Chris Munce trained FATA MORGANA (4yo mare by MEDAGLIA D’ORO ex TRICK OF LIGHT) led from barrier rise to finish line in a tough and courageous victory that has her loyal team of owners and connections very upbeat that there are more wins in store for the magnificently bred mare.
FATA MORGANA was ridden by Michael Hellyer who judged the race and tempo superbly, which despite the 59.0kgs she had to carry, made it mathematically impossible for anything to come from behind her and win.
FATA MORGANA won the XXXX GOLD Fillies and Mares Maiden Handicap 1300m which was Race 6 on the Sunshine Coast’s Melbourne Cup Day programme.
She certainly didn’t have things her own way when asked to lump the
top weight of 59.0kgs giving race fitness and 5.0kgs weight to-runner up KITTY SOFTPAWS (54.0kgs) and 3.5kgs in weight to third placed CALISTO.
They covered the 1300m in 1:20.27 and a last 600m in 36.45. This was significantly faster than the colts and geldings division on the same programme who ran 1:20.95 and 35.81.
Eased down,
FATA MORGANA posted a margin of 0.3 lengths x 0.3 lengths. During the event pressure was applied by several runners but class and determination prevailed despite a lack of race fitness and experience.
FATA MORGANA had only faced the starter once before when 3rd over 1310m back on the 2nd July 2017, but after that run we had seen enough to be confident she had the ability to win races so she was tipped out for another short break.
She had just one trial over 1000m on 31 October and then backed up 7 days later into this event consolidating our beliefs with a terrific win.
Without doubt she is bred to be at her best at a trip up to 2000m.
So to carry such a big weight and give away experience and race fitness along with 5.0kgs to the runner-up and then win eased down, is a ringing endorsement to her ability and class as much as it was matched by the horsemanship and skill of her trainer Chris Munce.
The efforts of Chris and his team are acknowledged as he has polished our injury plagued mare into a winning racemare.
The mare has always shown promise but a series of minor injuries as a youngster then bone chips in her knees resulted in the mare missing some of her early career opportunities.
However all good things come to those who wait and FATA MORGANA promises to deliver more wins.
FATA MORGANA is a terrific name as a FATA MORGANA is an unusual and complex form of Mirage that is seen in a narrow band above the horizon. With her Dam being the mare TRICK OF LIGHT her name sounds perfect.
Being by
MEDAGLIA D’ORO is a massive bonus – The sire is the leading source of Gr1 Winners in the USA this year and has just had a massive fee rise to $200,000 USD.
Being a daughter of
MEDAGLIA’D’ORO is important enough but emphasis is placed equally on the brilliance of our mare’s pedigree.
Our filly is from the international racemare and Australian Gr2 winner TRICK OF LIGHT (GB) by champion sire Dansilli.
She won 6 races from 1212 to 2000m, in Great Britain and Australia inc:
SAJC Queen of the South S., Gr2, MRC Select H., 2d VRC Matron S.,
Gr3, 4th SAJC Rain Lover P.,
LR, and
$243,333.
TRICK OF LIGHT is a half-sister to the dam of ANONIMO VENEZIANO – Champion 3yo Sprinter of Italy in 2009.
TRICK OF LIGHT’S 2nd-dam is the brilliant racemare and Champion Broodmare
MONROE.
A Gr3 winner in Ireland and a full sister to 2 Stakes Winners including Successful Sire
GIELGUD, MALINOWSKI and stakes-placed
Minnie Hauk.
She has produced 14 winners including Stakes Winners:
XAAR – Gr1 Newmarket Dewhurst and Successful Sire
MASTERCLASS – Gr3 Winner in France and Proven Sire
DIESE – Gr3 Winner and Dam of Gr1 Winner SENURE
ILE DE JINSKY – Stakes Winner in the USA
Didicoy – Gr3 placed, Dam of a Gr3 Winner –
DIDINA and grand-dam of
CITYSCAPE a Gr1 Winner.
Our mare was bred at Rick Jamieson’s Gilgai Farm, arguably one of the best independent breeders in Australia. He has bred many stakes winners including
BLACK CAVIAR.
So, it was little wonder on this female pedigree and being bred on what we describe as the Sadlers Wells over Danehill cross that on genetic evaluation, this mare would develop into a quality racehorse.
Add in her wonderful athletic conformation and exceptional looks and balance, she will be a highly sought-after broodmare when her racing career is over and now she is a winner, her commercial appeal has strengthened even further.
Congratulations goes to her LOYAL and PATIENT Team of Dynamic Owners who appear to have a nice mare going forward:
Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr P G Netting, Mr R J Gall, Mr I D Zanardo, Mr G Georgiou, Mr J H Tattersall, Mr P J Spencer, Ms A M Wood, Mr A Matheson, Mr J Vodopivc, Mr C G Norris, Mrs P A Wilson, Mr J R Lundberg, Mr G N Haggett, Mr D R Zahnleiter, Mr D R Hockey, Mr A T Cashman, Mr D T Suttie, Mrs T Brazier.
FATA MORGANA became Dynamic Syndications 173rd INDIVIDUAL WINNER (188 Runners = 92%) and produced our 502nd Race Win.