Promising filly Lucky Morna raced into contention for Brisbane’s winter carnival juvenile features with an impressive win at Eagle Farm this afternoon.
Trained by renowned horseman Kelso Wood, Lucky Morna sat off the leaders before coming home with a blistering turn of foot in the straight.
At the post Lucky Morna ($2.20-$2.80 fav) raced away to beat Paladin ($26-$31) by three and a quarter lengths, while Easy Successful ($18-$16-$17) was another two lengths back in third place.
Wood was impressed with the runaway win and he is already regretting a recent decision not to enter the filly for Brisbane’s feature two-year-old event.
“She’ll run in the Sires but I didn’t nominate her for the TJ Smith,” Wood told AAP.
“I might have to pay a late entry for that race now.”
The filly was racing for the third time today after an eighth placing over 1000 metres before her eye catching last start third over 1010 metres. She relished the step up at her third run to 1200 metres.
“She’s been thrown in at the deep end.”
“She never went to a maiden when she started off and went straight to the city.”
“Chris (Munce) rode her confidently and she travelled beautifully for him,” Wood summed up.
Proven big race rider Chris Munce feels the filly will continue to improve as her distances increase into the future.
“The 1200 metres really suited her and she’ll be even better the further she goes,” Munce told AAP.
“She struggled to show speed in her first two runs over short trips but she was really switched on today.”
“She needs to improve a couple more lengths for the bigger races, but she’s headed the right way.” Munce added.
Kelso Wood purchased Lucky Morna on behalf of connections for $35,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He backed up twelve months later, earlier this year, to buy her full sister, again from the draft of Oaklands Stud for $28,000.
Lucky Morna, a daughter of Lion Hunter’s group and Magic Millions Adelaide Classic winning son Ferocity, is the first runner for his dam Forty Winks.
A real Oaklands Stud graduate, Lucky Morna’s dam is a winning and Sydney placed daughter of former top Oaklands sire Forty Winks.
Forty Winks is a full sister to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic runner-up Reigart – a galloper who was sold to Hong Kong where he raced with good success under the hamed of Fly High.
Another half sister Power Nap, a multiple city winner of six races, is the dam of the former Singapore star Hulk – a winner of nine races including the listed Kranji Sprint and Juvenile Championship.
PICS – Dan Costello.
