Gold Coast trainer Scott Morrisey looks to get back on track

By Glenn Davis

Gold Coast trainer Scott Morrisey’s good run of form came to an abrupt end on Saturday but he’s hopeful of getting back on track at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.

Morrisey has his fingers crossed he can land the quinella in the Benchmark 68 Handicap over 1000 metre with a two-pronged attack from Tikka Ready and Campai.

“I’ve been having a terrific run lately with three Wednesday city winners in a row but it all came to a halt last Saturday,” Morrisey said.

“I had three runners at Eagle Farm and two at Ipswich and they were all in the market but it wasn’t a good day.

“Hopefully, we can get a win on Wednesday.”

Tikka Ready was about to be moved on to Roma trainer Wayne Baker before striking form with three wins in a row. 

The five-year-old is part-owned by Morrisey’s father, John, and completed a hat-trick of wins over 1110 metres at Doomben last month.

“We got him at the Magic Millions QTIS sales and he’s now doing a good job,” Scott said.

“He was nearly out the door and we were going to move him on to Wayne Baker.

“He wasn’t competing in his races so I gave him one last chance and changed his work around and he’s a different horse now.”

The 49-year-old Morrisey has been training for 28 years and is helped around the stable by his semi-retired father, John.

John Morrisey won 20 straight premierships in Canberra and was a multiple NSW trainers' premiership winner.

John was training against the might of the Gai Waterhouse and the late Bart Cummings stables before moving to the Gold Coast.

He claimed a host of feature races in Queensland including three Group 1s with Queensland Derby winners Camarena and Lachlan River while Rockdale won a TJ Smith.

The TJ Smith is now known as the J. J. Atkins. 

Morrisey also gives Campai a big show on her last start fifth in a 1000 metre Benchmark race at Eagle Farm on January 20.

“Campai loves to lead and if she can lead this field she’ll give it a big shake,” Morrisey said.

“Her last run was very good as her rider, Yvette Lewis, had to give her a dig up from her wide gate.”

Campai is raced by the Pemberton family who have been long time clients for both John and Scott Morrisey.