After not beating a runner home in the Group III Rubiton Stakes and Group 1 Futurity Stakes, the flashy Snitzel colt Mr Mozart celebrated his return to Sydney with a front-running triumph in Saturday’s $200,000 Group II Chandon Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
Ridden by Willie Pike for Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, Mr Mozart revelled in the heavy conditions to defeat the Tivaci filly Never Been Kissed by two lengths with a further three-quarters of a length back to the Teofilo (IRE) gelding Character in third.
The winner of the Listed VRC Exford Plate at Flemington last spring, Mr Mozart advances his record to three wins and a second from 10 starts with earnings of $334,800
“His runs in Melbourne have probably been a touch disappointing,” Michael Hawkes admitted.
“We just thought 1500, back to his own age, a bit of give (in the track), he went great.
“It’s good to see this colt back in a bit of form. He has raced well here in the past and that was the plan, for Willie just to take his time to get to the front. I thought they were going to roll along a little bit more than what they did and then when he kept rolling and got to the front, I thought, wow.
“He got to the 500m and when he gets out in front he actually likes doing it and he just kept rolling. The heavy track probably helped him and he’s a winner.
“He’s been a bit up and down, a bit hot and cold. It was a beautifully judged ride today, he got out in front and he just loves to run. It’s a great form turnaround."
A homebred for a group that raced his talented dam, Mr Mozart is the first foal of Euro Angel. A daughter of Rip Van Winkle, Euro Angel was trained by Team Hawkes to win the Group III MRC Ladies Day Vase and split In Her Time and Daysee Doom in the Group II Millie Fox Stakes at Rosehill.
Bred by Windsor Park Stud, Euro Angel was the third yearling purchase by Team Hawkes out of the imported Polish Precedent mare Polish Princess (GB).
The first was the talented Polish Knight (Encosta de Lago), a $420,000 buy that won the Group II ATC Tulloch Stakes and was runner-up in the Group 1 ATC Derby.
The second was the tough-as-teak Zabeel gelding Leebaz a four-time Group winning millionaire purchased for $460,000 at the 2011 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling sale.
A $200,000 purchase at the 2014 NZB Premier Yearling sale, Euro Angel is the fifth foal of Polish Princess, purchased by Windsor Park for 75,000 guineas out of the Meon Valley Stud draft at the 2004 Tattersalls October Yearling sale.
Polish Princess (GB) did her racing in New Zealand, where she was a Listed stakes-winner in a career of four wins and six placings from 11 starts. and she placed in the Group 1 ARC Champions Mile.
A granddaughter of Meon Valley Stud's Broodmare Of The Year, Reprocolor, Polish Princess died in 2018.
Euro Angel has a 2yo sister to Mr Mozart named Angel Flight who is also in the Hawkes stable..
After missing in 2019, Euro Angel foaled a Pierro last spring colt and was covered by Snitzel.
