Morgan family out for more Eagle Farm success

By Jordan Gerrans 

Brisbane has been a happy hunting ground for Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan so far in 2021 and brother Luke will look to get in on the action this Saturday at Eagle Farm.

The Morgan brothers train a big team of horses out of country NSW and will often send horses to Sydney or across the border to Queensland.

The Morgan brothers’ father, Glenn, has been looking after the horses in Brisbane in recent months so Cody and Luke can continue their Tamworth operation.

The Cody-trained pair of Ligulate (pictured) and Wren’s Day have been excellent in the early part of the year, Ligulate winning twice recently before running fourth in a Listed race last weekend on the Sunshine Coast.

Wren’s Day just went down first-up last month and gets his chance on Saturday in the Class 3 Plate (1400m).

In previous years the Morgan family would send their horses to Eagle Farm trainer Barry Lockwood if they were coming to Brisbane, but Cody says it is a big help having Glenn in Queensland now.

Glenn has trained in his own right for years, including being based in north Queensland for a long period of 2020 during their carnival season.

“It is very handy having him up there,” Cody said.

“He came back quickly home on Wednesday and picked up a couple of horses, one of mine and one of my brothers.

“He then headed back up.”

Luke will be hopeful of following Cody’s lead by having some Brisbane success with Unbiased in the Benchmark 90 Handicap (1400m) on Saturday.

Unbiased went on a NQ Cups campaign last year and while he could not break through, the eight-year-old bay gelding was never far away in Townsville and Cairns.

Unbiased (pictured in Townsville) faced a 1100m task first-up at Tamworth last month and goes to 1400m this Saturday, which Cody says is not ideal for his brother Luke’s horse.

“He is a lovely horse and is the family horse,” Cody said.

“We won a Tamworth Cup with him and then dad trained him last prep and now the brother has him this time around.

“We all own him as the family horse.

“The fact that he is a Class 6 horse, he should be able to win a race in his grade in Brisbane at a mile if he is at his best.

“The small field may suit on Saturday in Brisbane.”

For Wren’s Day, the Morgan team are unsure what his immediate future holds.

With Andrew Mallyon on board, he goes to 1400m this Saturday and may look to the Tamworth Cup later on.

“These horses are a step back from Sydney grade horses, with that being the main reason we have looked to Brisbane,” Cody said.

“Ligulate does not like wet tracks so we could not go to Sydney anyway.”

Ligulate is likely to remain in Queensland for one more effort, headed towards the Gold Coast Stakes (1800m) on QTIS Jewel day next Saturday.

Ligulate stormed home from last at the turn last Saturday at Caloundra but finished a length back from winner Hail Manhattan following the barnstorming finish.

“He has gone really well and there was nothing wrong with his run the other day on the Sunshine Coast,” Cody said.

“He will go to the Gold Coast next week and if he draws well and the track stays dry, I think he will be very hard to beat.

“That looks a nice progression from the mile race at the Sunshine Coast the other day.”

Across the border, both Morgan brothers will have a big team of horses in on Sunday on their home track as the Country Championships Qualifier heads to Tamworth.