Cody Morgan started the new racing season the way he finished the last - in the winner's circle.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Tamworth trainer celebrated winning the 2020/21 Hunter and North West Trainers Premiership with two wins - Ezekeil and Ashra Jahre - at his first meeting for the season at Tamworth.
The premiership victory was Morgan's first and he was "really happy" to claim the win but said it was a bit unexpected.
"Normally, for so many years, it's hard to beat the Hunter Valley and Newcastle trainers with weight of numbers," Morgan said.
"Our stable has grown to over 40 and building to 50 horses. Hopefully we can be competitive again next year."
The two wins at Tamworth on Friday gave Morgan a good start to the 2021/22 season and he has another premiership he'd love to win.
It's one that he went close to winning the season just gone.
"There was only two trainers in Country NSW that trained two more winners than us," he said.
"We're in a good spot but that's something I'd like to be able to achieve in the next few years - the State NSW Country Premiership."
Another goal for Morgan is getting a start in this year's edition of The Kosciuszko.
The premiership-winning trainer said he's got "four or five horses" up to the task.
Names that have been brought up in the past have been Ice In Vancouver, Edit, Wren's Day, Anethole, Mo's Crown and Macleay.
Some of those horses are in the middle of preps while others can be expected to step out soon.
"We purposefully held them back a couple weeks during August just with how much wet weather we've had,' Morgan said.
"We didn't want to kick their campaigns off on these really heavy tracks and we've had some really nice weather the last few days.
"It's starting to dry up - even Tamworth raced on a pretty good track the other day.
"They'll all start racing and start to get serious in the next few weeks."