Michael Morton on Saturday managed to achieve something many breeders spend millions on chasing without ever achieving when the co-bred filly, Kristilli (Hellbent) stormed home to a rousing victory in the $1 million G2 Percy Sykes S. at Royal Randwick.
The Annabel Neasham-trained 2-year-old daughter of Hellbent was a $200,000 yearling purchase by her trainer and bloodstock agent Brian McGuire from the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale when consigned by Yarraman Park. Kristilli is raced by a group of owners headed by the prominent racing media personality Lizzie Jelfs. The juvenile has already banked over $700,000 in career earnings.
There is always a beginning and story to every thoroughbred that races worldwide, without the time and effort put into those early days there wouldn’t be the result of such we saw in the G2 Percy Sykes S. at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Morton understands this more than anybody. A ‘Kiwi’ that now calls Australia home, Morton moved from New Zealand to Australia in 2009 and began working at the renowned Arrowfield Stud with the stallions for several years, before moving to another Hunter Valley stallion powerhouse, Vinery Stud for five years.
For the last six years, Morton has been a mainstay at the Mitchell family’s Yarraman Park and works in the operation as the stallion manager, spending his days with the super sire, I Am Invincible and his son, promising young son Hellbent, and soon to be joined by another rising star in the stallion ranks, Brave Smash (Jpn).
Sognani comes up for sale
It was in 2017 when Morton noticed a daughter of the former Yarraman Park-based stallion Magic Albert, Sognani was offered for sale on the Inglis Digital September Monthly Sale and she would be sold for $7000 to Con Hadjiparaskeva.
Sognani was originally a $55,000 2015 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase by Paul Moroney from the draft of Yarraman Park.
Sognani as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Trained by Mike Moroney, Sognani was a dual winner from only eleven starts.
Morton told TDN AusNZ: “Harry Mitchell told me she (Sognani) was born here (Yarraman Park) and consigned through Yarraman Park at the Classic Sale.
“Harry said she was a beautiful yearling and that her trainer Mike Moroney said she had stakes ability but unfortunately went amiss.
“Harry (Mitchell) said she (Sognani) was a beautiful yearling and that her trainer Mike Moroney said she had stakes ability but unfortunately went amiss.” - Michael Morton
“When I saw her in the Inglis Digital Sale I tried to buy her myself, however, she went for too much and sadly I missed out on her.”
Morton would not have to wait long for another chance to secure Sognani when the mare was consigned to the 2018 Inglis Sydney Broodmare and Weanling Sale and carrying a foal to the former Vinery Stud-based sire Press Statement.
“Arthur and I went to have a look at Sognani and you couldn’t really pick a fault with her.
“We decided to have a go at purchasing her together and this time I was successful.”
Aaron Bott, Jimmy Unwala and Michael Morton
Mitchell and Morton signed the cheque for $38,000. Upon returning to the farm, they spilt Sognani up between Arthur Mitchell’s daughter Lucy Mitchell and the now retired stud secretary Belinda Martin.
After foaling the filly by Press Statement in September, that filly would become Hot Press and a winner of two races. It was decided by Morton and Co., that Sognani would visit Hellbent standing his first season at Yarraman Park.
Young gun Hellbent leaves an impression
“She (Sognani) ended up missing and not going in foal that season, which was very weird because she has been in foal first cover every year since,” Morton told TDN AusNZ.
The following season the first foals of the G1 William Reid S. hero, Hellbent were hitting the ground.
Hellbent | Standing at Yarraman Park
“They were great types and we still wanted to support Hellbent, so we decided to try again with them next season.”
The resultant progeny of that union would become Kristilli, the pretty bay filly was born in August 2020.
“She (Kristilli) was a beautiful type,” Morton said.
“It is well-known that type sells and Kristilli being born confirmed that Sognani would visit Hellbent again.
“It is well-known that type sells and Kristilli being born confirmed that Sognani would visit Hellbent again.” - Michael Morton
“We were all very happy when we sold her for $200,000 at the Inglis Classic Sale and to be trained by Annabel Neasham was wonderful.”
As Kristilli's career started to progress, Morton and the Mitchell brothers started to hear from the Neasham stable that she was showing good signs and may be blessed with very good ability.
“Hearing that Kristilli was showing the stable a lot sealed the deal that her dam would visit Hellbent for a third and fourth time.”
The Neasham stable had such an opinion of Kristilli they would pay $170,000 for her full sister at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Kristilli as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Kristilli’s full brother has just been weaned and enjoying his time on the Yarraman Park pastures.
“Kristilli’s siblings are very much like her, and the colt is just beautiful, I don’t want to jinx myself but watch out for the 2024 yearling sales.”
Morton “who works daily with Hellbent” has great admiration for the son of ‘Vinnie’.
“Hellbent is a dude, a great type of a horse, he’s not as big as I Am Invincible, but you can tell he’s his father's son,” Morton told TDN AusNZ.
“Hellbent is a dude, a great type of a horse, he’s not as big as I Am Invincible, but you can tell he’s his father's son.” - Michael Morton
“He has an awesome personality, very inquisitive and can be a bit of a show-off. Kristilli was very typical of the type Hellbent throws, she was very athletic and well-put-together without being too big. She’s just a well put together racehorse, and after seeing her at Randwick yesterday she's got so much more filling out to do which is very exciting.”
Life changing for Morton
Incredibly, Sognani is the only broodmare Morton has been involved with. To have a Group 2-winning filly of a $1 million race, from a mare that was cheap by broodmare standards, you might think Morton believes it’s that easy!
“It was very special yesterday and to have spilt up amongst some of our staff makes it even more special.
“It was very special yesterday (Saturday) and to have spilt up amongst some of our staff makes it even more special.” - Michael Morton
“Everyone got a massive thrill out of her winning yesterday, because all the staff had dealt with her throughout her progression from foal to yearling,” Morton said.
“However, I could never dream that she would be winning a Group 2 race as a 2-year-old at just her second start. She was a beautiful type, and you could only hope that maybe she would progress to a stakes race as she got older and being in such a great stable.”
TDN AusNZ asked Morton finally how does it feel?
“Honestly, life changing.”
