Kelly Schweida aiming filly El Morzillo at Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap
Kelly Schweida collected a $1m race in Melbourne with his grey flash El Morzillo, but now he has something more prestigious in mind.
The Group 1 $3m Stradbroke Handicap.
El Morzillo will attempt to walk in the hoofprints of another three-year-old filly Stefi Magnetica, who won the 2024 Stradbroke with a feather weight.
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The problem will be getting El Morzillo to qualify for the Stradbroke in June.
With a rating of 90, the fast-finishing filly needs a ratings bump or to score a 'win-and-you're in' race such as the Fred Best Classic to surge into the Stradbroke.
El Morzillo is set to resume in the winter carnival pipe-opener Group 2 Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
'You've got to aim high and she would have to qualify to get in, but I think the Stradbroke is a race that really suits a three-year-old filly like her,' multiple Group 1-winning Eagle Farm trainer Schweida said.
'Who knows what is coming for the Straddy, they just seem to jumpout of the woodwork?
'But the Straddy is the type of race where they generally run along at a good tempo and that would really suit her.
'I think she is better ridden back in the field and unleashed late with her good turn of foot.
'When she won at Flemington last start, she was 15th at the 400m mark.'
• Potential Group 1 star who can be 'beaten a furlong' in trials
El Morzillo has competed at a high level for virtually her entire 12-start career.
She is familiar with winter carnival competition, having finished fourth behind Broadsiding in last year's Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm.
At her last start, she flew home like she was shot out of a gun to score the $1m Inglis Sprint at Flemington.
Before that, she was fifth in the $3m Sunlight slot race on the Sunshine Coast in January.
That has proved a hot form race with Sunlight winner Private Harry subsequently scoring the Group 1 The Galaxy in Sydney.
Others who ran behind Private Harry on the Sunshine Coast have since produced eye-catching wins.
Kelly Schweida is aiming high with El Morzillo. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography
• Dethroned Quokka champion set for Doomben 10,000
'When she won that million-dollar race in Melbourne, I guess you could say it was just a restricted race,' Schweida said.
'But her form before that was very good.'
Another Schweida youngster, two-year-old colt Grafterburners, will have a part to play in the winter carnival.
Grafterburners, last seen winning the $500,000 QTIS Jewel (2YO) on the Gold Coast, is likely to resume in the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200m) at Doomben on May 17.
Could he be a contender for the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) on Stradbroke day?
'Firstly, we will have to see whether he runs 1400m which I think he will,' Schweida said.
'To get to 1600m, you first need to run 1400m and if you can't run that, you can't run 1600m.'
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