By John Schell
Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan will make the trip across country to Coonabarabran on Sunday where he has a strong team engaged including two runners in the feature event of the day.
Morgan has form galloper Smart Shot (Jake Pracey-Holmes) and Satay Chicken (Cobi Vitler) in the $75,000 Imperial Hotel Coonabarabran Showcase Cup (1600m).
Racing heads to Coonabarabran on Sunday.Credit: Phil Carrick
“Smart Shot has been racing in really good form, having won two of his latest four starts,” Morgan said. “He’s a versatile horse that has been doing the job well and he looks to be my best hope of the day at Coonabarabran.
“Stay Chicken has drawn awkwardly so it looks like we’ll go back and hope for a bit of luck.”
Morgan has a number of other leading contenders across the Coonabarabran card.
Best Defence (Clayton Gallagher) and Got The Smarts (Billy Cray) are in the Pursehouse Coonabarabran And Coona Bakery Country Boosted Maiden Showcase Plate (900m).
“They both have a bit of speed but in saying that they will need to over the 900m,” Morgan said.
Poseidon’s Son (Shannen Llewellyn) will line up in the Brett Bowman Racing And Breeding Super Maiden Handicap (1200m).
“He’s had the two trials since coming to me and has performed well in each of them,” Morgan said. “He shows his share of talent and he should be hard to beat.”
The Expo Cup Day Showcase Sprint (1100m) boasts the Morgan pair of Cyclone Rupert (Mikayla Weir) and Acotango (Cray).
“Cyclone Rupert wasn’t too far away at Tamworth at his latest start and while its not an easy race he can show up without surprising. And Acotango has a tricky draw but is primed to run well,” he said.
Morgan rounds out the day with Exonumia (Bullock) in the Marc Hawkins Electrical/Evans Equestrian Max Hawkins Memorial Country Class 2 Plate (1200m).
“Exonumia is first up from a spell and raced very well in this same race last year when finishing second,” Morgan said.
