Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan didn’t have much luck from the barrier gods in The Kosciuszko with his three runners all drawing outside gates.
However, he has fared much better in the Country Classic at Rosehill on Saturday with Bajan Gold coming up with the inside alley for the 2000m race.
The six-year-old Lope De Vega gelding will also have the benefit of weight relief, courtesy of three kilogram claiming apprentice Reece Jones who will reduce his impost to 52.5kg.
Jones is building a nice record of late with a hat-trick of victories at both Narromine and Muswellbrook last month.
“Reece is riding really well in the country at the moment,” Morgan said.
“Louise Day was booked to ride him but then she got suspended. I just wanted to claim on him, he’s the highest-rated horse in the race and weight-wise he gets in pretty well.”
Morgan also has one eye on the weather and does not want the track to be too rain-affected.
“The track condition will have a lot to do with his chances,” Morgan said.
“I don’t think he wants it any worse than a soft six but he’ll run out the trip strong and gets plenty of favours from that gate.”
Morgan has been the in-form stable in the Tamworth region, posting 14 winners from his past 50 runners, and he is grateful for the support he has received from syndicators Australian Bloodstock.
“They’ve been tremendous. They’ve got about half my stable,” Morgan said.
“I just try to turn them over fairly quickly, the racing is so competitive up here now.
“It’s something we always strive for, to try and have your strike rate as good as it can be.
“We’ve had a really good start to the season and this is a race that has been on the radar for a couple of months now.”
