Latest News

By Ray Hickson

A former Godolphin galloper rising nine years of age has emerged as leading Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan’s major hope of clinching a third win in the Newhaven Park Hunter & North West Country Championships (1400m) on Sunday.

Cody Morgan with Country Championships hopeful Ezekeil (Pic: Gareth Gardner).

That horse is Wren’s Day, who was put on ice after he finished second in the Tamworth Cup last April with the $1.6 million series as his focus and, if the weather is kind, Morgan says he’s the horse they all have to beat.

The eight-year-old gelding has raced four times for Morgan for an Eagle Farm win and three second placings, and he’s been prepared with four barrier trials in the past two months.

Morgan is taking no chances with Country Championships big gun Edit, scratching him from Tamworth due to the outside barrier to save him for the Scone Wild Card in two weeks, but he’ll still have up to four runners in the race.

“As a country trainer we have two grand finals to showcase the stable and one of them’s on Sunday so you try to have them as well as possible,’’ Morgan said.

“As long as it’s not worse than a soft 6 Wren’s Day will be right there. That’s his biggest issue on Sunday, so I’m really on weather watch. If it stays dry he’s the horse to beat in the race.

“He’s just a quality horse. A lot of work has gone into him with four trials, 10 months off, but he’s ready to go and will run really well.”

Morgan won the Hunter & North West Country Championships with Unbiased (2019) and Ligulate (2020) and also qualified Pelerin (2017) via the Wild Card for the $500,000 Final at Royal Randwick, run this year on April 2.

When Wren’s Day returned to work it was decided, given he’s had 19 starts, that he should be aimed at the Country Championships while he’s eligible and Australian Bloodstock, who syndicated the horse, agreed.

“He came up at the end of last year and was coming up well, I spoke to Luke (Murrell) and Jamie (Lovett) and said we only have to mark time for a month for a $150,000 race to get into a $500,000 race,’’ he said.

Dylan Gibbons has the ride on Wren’s Day, $4.80 with TAB on Friday, while reigning Sydney premier apprentice Tom Sherry partners Anethole after striking up a solid association with a horse Morgan says can be tricky to handle.

The five-year-old brings some strong form into the Tamworth race, following his narrow defeat to Testator Silens, subsequent South East Country Championships winner, at Randwick on February 5 with Golden Point and Shelby Sixtysix, both Highway winners in February, behind him.

“He’s had a soft trial and his work here on Wednesday morning was faultless,’’ Morgan said.

“I’m happy with the draw, he can race in the first half dozen. Tom’s build up a good association with him, he’s had two goes at Tamworth for a win and beaten a nose.

“He’s really solid. The 1400m won’t be an issue. A lot of the time you’re guessing but I’m really confident that won’t be the problem.”

William Pike takes the ride on the up and coming three-year-old Ezekeil, a horse Morgan said could be a surprise packet given he hasn’t yet been exposed to the sort of class he’s facing on Sunday.

The gelding easily accounted for Amulet Street, who will be a leading chance in next Sunday’s Western District Country Championships at Coonamble, winning a Class 2 at Quirindi recently.

“We’re grateful that Will is coming up to support our club and I wanted to put him on a nice horse,’’ he said.

“He’ll run particularly well and he is the dark horse because we don’t know where he fits in.

Wren's Day runs second in a Tamworth trial on February 22

“Luke Murrell’s always thought he’d be better at 1400m and he’s been kept at the short trips through circumstances.”

Morgan needs one more scratching, with Edit, It’s Me and Bobbing already out, for Macleay to gain a start and he’s not discounting the four-year-old's chances.

He was a last start third at Tamworth behind Cracking Mo and Pee Dee, both subsequent winners, and is ready for the step up to 1400m.

“He’s been going better than his form suggests. It’s been in unsuitable races,’’ Morgan said.

“His trial was really good so if we give Wren’s Day and Anethole a chance off the trial he’s got to be right there.”

All the entries, form and replays for Sunday’s Country Championships meeting at Tamworth