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Riverina Will Be Cheering Home Burrandana In Randwick Highway

By Tony Megahey

Riverina racing doyen Peter J. Morgan, 79 years, has had numerous classier gallopers than Highway runner Burrandana, but the giant gelding’s career best is the strongest possible incentive into Saturday’s Royal Randwick episode.

Burrandana is named after a pristine Riverina rural area in proximity to those of Pulletop, Mangoplah and Cookardinia, all bearing the name of Morgan gallopers over five marvellous training decades.

It's out of loyalty as many of Peter’s life-long racing owners and mates run sheep and cattle in those areas.

Wagga Wagga-based trainer Peter Morgan. Image by Wagga Advertiser

Burrandana the horse has 59kg for in-form Jason Collett into the $120,000 Class 3, 1400m and has already firmed from $8.50 into $5 favouritism on TAB.

In February’s Southern Districts Championships qualifier on the tight and turning Albury, Burrandana had a horror barrier 16 when a massive third from last in track record time to Ron Stubbs’s classy Bianco Vilano.

That gelding then won impressively in town to be elevated to one of the favourites for The Kosciuszko.

Of high significance, Burrandana had beaten Bianco Vilano at Wagga Wagga in January but was disqualified.

Burrandana again drew an outside barrier when a luckless fourth, first-up off a trial in a headquarters Highway three weeks ago won by Salute Again.

So, luck of the draw was overdue as Burrandana, a Duporth protégé, has barrier 9, and likely to come in with scratchings.

And Collett replaces Keagan Latham who rides at the provincials..

Naturally wily training veteran Morgan has an eye for The Kosciuszko after the huge Albury run. And natural progression of just seven race starts.

And the win over Bianco Vilano that never was at Wagga Wagga, would have meant three wins from seven starts. A good horse’s record.

“It was some run at Albury, ‘16’ and from last and we beat the winner previously at Wagga; he’s more forward second-up and off a trial,” Peter explained.

“We drew wide again last start and had to go back. But drawn in he can race closer, he’s a sit and sprint horse.

“Big strong gelding, needed the run, near four months between and good doer. After those wide draws, our turn had to come.

“We’ll come up again on Friday, stay at Randwick let him settle in after the road trip for raceday.

“But wide draws, near impossible in big fields, unless you’ve got a fair bit on them. The 1400m start at Albury is on a bend. It was some run.”

It certainly was. Burrandana was agonisingly close to qualifying for the Country Championships Final, as only first and second go through.

Burrandana has the upside of two wins from seven starts and it would have been three only for the disqualification.

Over five decades Morgan has trained city winners in Melbourne and Sydney, his best Flemington Listed winner Miss Tambell.

He maintains a small team on track at Wagga Wagga, nearby Burrandana has a population of around two dozen - Pulletop not many more while Cookardinia and Mangoplah a couple of hundred residents each.

Where racing and footy is the passion and the talk over some grand nights in Riverina pubs after Peter has trained winners.

“The “Lloyd family are in his ownership, they’ve run sheep at Burrandana for generations, there’s no buildings there any more.

"Those rural areas, don’t have pubs, some have general stores, we meet for a beer mostly in Wagga.”

Meanwhile, headquarters is a soft 5 in fine weather after some showers on Tuesday.

View final fields with full form & race replays for Royal Randwick here

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