Cadenza was the catalyst for another successful sale for Mungrup Stud sire Oratorio (Aus) at the Perth Magic Millions this week.
The Dan Morton trained filly was a late inclusion in last Saturday’s $250,000 Magic Millions 2YO Classic field and she upset the status quo with a whirlwind finish at Ascot.
Cadenza (2f Oratorio – Lady Mambo by Seignorial) ) appreciated the frenetic fractions set by the favourite Palace Intruder and that played into the hands of the late closers. She nailed Silver Trace (Due Sasso) in the shadows of the post and then repelled Rommel (Commands) in a three-way photo.
Morton admitted the filly is a real professional and that helped him back her up following a winning debut seven days beforehand. “She’s a really well put together filly,” Morton said. “We will let the dust settle and then decide whether to set her for the Karrakatta Plate.”
The Morton-trained filly Camporella won the Magic Millions Classic last year and then finished third to Ms Funovits in the G2 Karrakatta.
Morton prepares Cadenza for a syndicate that includes Mungrup owners Gray and Jan Williamson and he was among many trainers bidding on the Oratorio yearlings during Book 1 of the Magic Millions on Tuesday.
Top-price among them was the Oratorio – True Surrender filly that made $230,000 to the bid of agent Paul Moroney acting with local trainer Adam Durrant. “She’s the best filly we’ve ever presented at the Magic Millions,” Mungrup Stud’s Ann Croucher said before the sale. “We bred her older half-sister Moccasin Bend and she won a WA Guineas.”
Morton weighed in with $110,000 for the Oratorio – Just As Beautiful colt from Mungrup. He is a half-brother to G2 Pago Pago Stakes winner Salade.
The Ascot trainer credits his father Len Morton for short-listing yearlings before the sale. Other Oratorio fillies on his shopping list were the Mungrup bargains from Storm Blues ($32,000) and True Dane ($20,000).