The Tamworth trainer and the leading jockey in the Northern Rivers had figured in a lean time together in recent years.

They just couldn't produce a winner no matter what they did.

That all changed when Bumrah hung on for a narrow win, beating Blinkin Snazzy by a lip, in the Schiffman Yarns Benchmark 58 Handicap (1615m).

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The five-year-old gelding, a son of Nigara, had won his previous two starts at Gunnedah and Inverell and was a warm favourite.

He had won both on rain-affected going.

"That's been the secret to him," Morgan said.

"Even when he won his maiden it was on a soft track".

He didn't have the gelding at that stage but knew what he was doing when he floated him across the Great Dividing Range to the heavy Coffs Harbour track.

His only problem was the lack of success with McGuren aboard and that concern was echoed by McGuren as well.

"I didn't have any confidence going out," McGuren admitted after the race.

"It didn't matter what I was on for Luke."

"It was just good to get the monkey off my back.

"Luke has done a great job and turns them out so well."

The Tamworth trainer will be hoping to continue the success at Lightning Ridge on Saturday.

He has Littlebit Longtime, a last start winner at Inverell (March 20), engaged in the Dubbo City and Gilgandra Toyota Class 1 Handicap while Folkstone, who was narrowly beaten in the Tingha Cup at the same meeting, will contest the feature P W Concrete Lightning Ridge Cup.

The gelding will be up against his conqueror from that race with Liberty Head one of two runners for Moree trainer Peter Sinclair in the Cup.

Morgan is one of several local trainers with runners at the meeting.

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