Cody Morgan is under no illusions opposing the TAB Highway series dominance of Danny Williams and Matthew Dunn at Warwick Farm on Saturday, but the Tamworth trainer has every reason to be upbeat attempting a winning treble with rising star Moobi.
“Greg Ryan is coming down for just one ride and foregoing a full book at Bathurst. That tells you what you need to know,” Morgan said ahead of the $75,000 1600m Class 3.
Morgan said the “right horse” was needed to take on Williams and Dunn.
He added: “But Greg has won on him with a lap full so I’m not thinking I’ll let Greg down. We’re not coming all this way to make up the numbers. We think he’s a potential Country Championship’s horse.”
Morgan who ran second in last week’s Highway with Anchois, said the horse would be “strong at the distance” as he would eventually race at 2000m. “And we all know he’ll get the right ride if he’s good enough,” the trainer said.
“I haven’t got city-Saturday form like Danny’s favourite [Hemmerle] but I’ve got a real nice horse and Greg in my favour,” he said. "We’ll settle back a little – hopefully with a solid tempo so we can close off. It’s not a big field.”
Moobi has been impressive winning by widening margins at short odds for Ryan over 1400m and 1600m at Scone, carrying 59kg and 57.5 kg on November 19 and December 4. Among the strongest regional tracks, hosting leading stables, Scone form invariably holds up in the series.
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Moobi, a lightly raced six-year-old Spinning World gelding, has the imposing record of three wins from just seven race starts. On Saturday he’s weighted on 58kg for Ryan, the regional riding king who is fast closing on 4000 career wins amidst another brilliant season.
“He’s had a little freshen,” Ryan said. “I rode him fast work on the course proper at Tamworth on Tuesday. He’s where he needs to be for Saturday.”
Morgan has spoken about his friend Tye Angland, seriously injured in a recent fall at Sha Tin, Hong Kong, and being treated at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.
“I grew up with Tye Angland – we’re close friends,” he said. “We were rodeo riders together as kids. He’d be the first jockey I’d ring if I had one good enough to bring to town. My thoughts are with Tye and his family.”
Meanwhile, Hemmerle was slightly underdone first up, according to Williams, before running a strong third in last week’s TAB Highway. Also, Hemmerle last prep boasted a city-Saturday-class placing and finished close to a subsequent Chris Waller Group placegetter.
