11 hours ago
Kelly Schweida confident El Morzillo can defy her price to deliver him a third Group 1 Tatt's Tiara triumph
Kelly Schweida has made a pair of decisive strikes in the Group 1 Tatt's Tiara and he thinks bookmakers have offered up a tantalising price for filly El Morzillo to land a knockout blow on Saturday.
The wily Eagle Farm trainer has won the Tatt's Tiara in 2016 with Miss Cover Girl and in 2007 with Nova Star.
He will have another crack at the race on Saturday with three-year-old grey filly El Morzillo, who is not among the betting fancies as a $23 chance to score the last Group 1 of the Australian racing season.
El Morzillo, who won a $1m restricted race down the Flemington straight in March, has hit the winter carnival scoreboard once with a win but has been unplaced in three other tries.
However, Schweida thinks she has been racing well and points out she finished fourth behind Floozie in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes with Firestorm finishing third.
Chris Waller mare Firestorm is a $4.20 chance in the Tatt's Tiara.
'Floozie was good the other day and Firestorm was good, but I thought my filly's run was fine,' Schweida said.
'Going into the Tatt's Tiara, my filly is big odds whereas Firestorm who finished one ahead of us the other day is $4.
'I know my filly won this carnival when she was up on the speed, but that's not normally her go.
'The plan on Saturday will be to ride her quiet and let her finish off strongly.
'This race has been the idea for her the whole way through.'
Meanwhile, Schweida will back-up Miss Joelene from her sixth-placed finish lumping 60kg in last Saturday's Ipswich Cup, which was won by bolter Flash Aah.
Miss Joelene will race as a $4 chance in the Listed Tatt's Gold Crown (2100m) with the luxury weight of 56.5kg.
Schweida expects Metalart to be a strong contender in the Group 3 Healy Stakes (1200m) after an eye-catching third behind stablemate Vodka Martini in the Listed Lightning Handicap.
'This is a strong race, but he has got a good barrier,' Schweida said.
'I thought his run in the Lightning was good, he got held up twice but he kept trying.
'He has won seven of his 13 starts and he probably should have won nine, he has got a good record.
'Jason Collett will ride, but that wasn't Plan A.
'Michael Rodd was Plan A, but he broke his hand.
'Jason is a very good replacement.'
Metalart is a $7.50 chance in the Healy, in a betting market which has Need Some Luck and Hidden Wealth as the leading fancies.
