By Doug Ryan
Star English jockey, Ashley Morgan, 31, has a full book of promising rides to continue his dazzling form at Manning Valley Race Club's eight-race TAB meeting at Taree on Friday.
His winning doubles on multiple occasions at Taree, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth and at Grafton's Cup Carnival has catapulted him to 77 wins for the season.
Ashley's success is vindication for leaving England to seek his riding dreams in Australia and many leading trainers have been quick to snap up his services following his recent successes.
Top country trainers are not the only ones slotting Morgan in for rides, his opportunities now extending to provincial and city meetings. He has some juicy rides at Taree on Friday and following are his mounts:
Race 1: Resuming two-year-old gelding Oblivion ($3.90 on TAB), trained by Port Macquarie's John Sprague, is resuming from a spell and has a 4th over 1000m at Gosford in March and was 2nd in a barrier trial at Port since.
RACE 2: Three-year-old filly Chocolate Kisses ($4 equal favourite), trained at Scone by William Freedman, has placed five times from 11 starts and is drawn favourably.
RACE 3: Three-year-old gelding Glenburn Hotel ($7.50), trained at Taree by Bob Milligan, was 2nd over 1250m at Kempsey before its 7th at Muswellbrook.
RACE 4: Wyong four-year-old Wyong gelding Oakfield Cherokee ($2.30 fav), trained by Kristen Buchanan, won over 2100m at Wyong and again over 2200m at Grafton on July 7.
RACE 5: Four-year-old Port gelding Em Em D'Ar ($14), trained by Sprague, won by two lengths when resuming from a spell at Port on July 3.
RACE 6: Three-year-old filly Innervoice ($12), trained at Port by Jenny Graham, was a winner over 1200m on January 22, was unplaced in the Qualifier for the Country Championships and is resuming without a trial.
RACE 7: Five-year-old Grafton gelding Great Marlow ($7), trained by John Shelton, was 3rd over 1250m at Kempsey on June 20 and then 4th over 1408m at Grafton on July 4.
RACE 8: Three-year-old gelding McNair ($4.60), trained at Wyong by Allan Denham, was second over 1000m at Port on May 31 before winning over 1200m at Coffs Harbour on June 18.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1: THE JAGUAR 1, OBLIVION 2, BIGDOGGOTTAEAT 3.
RACE 2: CHOCOLATE KISSES 1, CONTINIUUM 2, LITTLE MISS DOTTY 3.
RACE 3: GLENBURN HOTEL 1, BLADNOCH 2, ATOMIC SURPRISE 3.
RACE 4: OAKFIELD CHEROKEE 1, JUSTITIA 2, JAZIRAT 3.
RACE 5: ALASTOR 1, BAXTER 2, EM EM D"AR 3.
RACE 6: PLEADING 1, OAKFIELD HIAWATHA 2, INNERVOICE 3.
RACE 7: LASTING GRACE 1, GREAT MARLOW 2, CONDOVER HALL 3.
RACE 8: MCNAIR 1, OAKFIELD ROMANCE 2, BELROSE EXPRESS 3.
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Taree here