Tamworth, Moruya previews: Cody Morgan has unfinished business in Kosciuszko with Anethole

Cody Morgan trained galloper Anethole can stake his claim for a second consecutive Kosciuszko appearance in 113 days via Friday’s Showcase Open Handicap (1200m) at Tamworth.

Morgan’s regally-bred gelding bounced straight from a ‘stable debut’ win in a Class 2 at Tamworth on August 31 into the $1.3 million Kosciuszko in mid-October when sent out as a $101 outsider but ended up finishing just three lengths behind the winner, It’s Me.

“He drew 14 of 14 and I think he had the second quickest sectionals besides the winner,” Morgan said.

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Anethole is a son of Anise who won the Kindergarten Stakes at Royal Randwick.Source:News Limited

“He has got to keep his record pretty good to get back into the Kosciuszko so he needs to be running one-two at his next couple to warrant getting back into a race like that.

“If he wins, he will probably go to Grafton or if he gets beat, he will probably go to a Highway in a few weeks.”

Anethole spent his formative years as one of the Godolphin string.

The now four-year-old is a son of Exceed And Excel out of Anise who won the Kindergarten Stakes and is herself a granddaughter of Twiglet.

Anethole was at his near barnstorming best when visiting Sydney on June 5 flashing up in the final strides to run third in a TAB Highway over 1100m.

“He has drawn awkwardly on Friday but he will be flying home late,” Morgan said.

“He’s won here at Tamworth which will help and Dylan (Gibbons) has won on him and gets him down in the weights so he should be right there.”

Morgan, a deft exponent of Highways, passed on the opportunity to add another one to his tally this weekend with Levi’s Storm instead chasing a hat-trick of wins at his home track.

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“We drew out a bit in Sydney,” Morgan began. “We’ll run him here on Friday and then look to go to a Highway in a fortnight or there is a three-year-old race in Brisbane for him over 1350m.

“He has got to tick the 1400m box but other than that, he is really well.”

Levi’s Storm’s back-to-back 1200m wins at Tamworth have come from the front, in fast time, and both times on Good 4’s as opposed to Friday’s rain affected track.

“That is a bit of an unknown but he has shown signs he will handle it so it is not a major issue,” said Morgan.

Morgan’s potentially, nay likely, huge day begins in the opener where the classically-bred Kanalaide seeks to won his first race at start three of the career.

“He looks my best chance for the day,” Morgan said.

“I like the horse and I expect him to be right there.

“I think we will go to a mile next start and I do really, really like him and hope that he starts to deliver on what he has always shown us at home.”

Kanalaide is by 2015 Cox Plate winner Adelaide and was foaled on the same day as Winx won her third Cox Plate.

DRYDEN'S DREAM TO GRAB A FIRST-UP WIN

Dream Runner’s dream run came to a crashing halt last summer but an unusually strong practise gallop has his camp preparing for a first-up win in the Bodalla Town Plate (1300m).

The Keith Dryden-trained gelding is from all reports both talented and enigmatic.

“He is a really hard horse to put a gauge on because he is the laziest trackworker I have ever had,” Dryden said.

“That’s why he went around at 50 to one first-up. His trackwork rider came in and said ‘get rid of him’. I said ‘we’ve gone this far, we better give him a start’ and then he went bang, bang and won his next two.

“The drama with him is that he had a bad bleed at Hawkesbury so we turned him out.

“He’s back now and he seems well.”

Dream Runner’s pre-debut trial was underwhelming at best, in total contrast to his breezy win in his 800m heat at Goulburn on June 7.

Dream Runner was bred at Meringo Stud, just like his sire Wilful Default and his ‘uncle’, Takeover Target.

Jockey Blaike McDougall will ride Dream Runner for Keith Dryden at Moruya. Photo: AAP ImageSource:AAP

‘He is a nice horse,” Dryden said.

“And I was really disappointed when he did bleed that day because I thought he was in for a tremendous preparation.”

Blaike McDougall has the ride on the Hartnell/Walker owned chestnut who has company in the Town Plate from stablemate Gunga Din whose prospects dimmed when the rain came.

“Gunga Din is a not a real wet tracker but he has been ready to start for a couple of weeks and we’ve just got to start him,” Dryden said.

“I wouldn’t scratch him looking for something else because you just find a race that suits.”

What will suit the son of Shamexpress are the myriad of ‘cups’ races available to the Laurel Oak gelding who has already won a Narrandera Cup and placed in the Moruya and Narooma Cups.

Dryden – and some of his regular golfing partners – are hoping their home-bred filly Emma’s Gift can add a second win to her tally when she contests the Tuross and Bodalla Class 1 Handicap (1200m).

“We were beaten fair and square on the day but in saying that she might just be suited a little bit by the extra ground,” Dryden said.

Originally published asTamworth, Moruya previews: Anethole set to climb mountain again

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