Latest news with #WJMcKellCup
Sydney Morning Herald
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
From packing his bags to glory days: Morgan out to cap amazing season
At the start of this season, getting the ride on an early favourite in a stakes race in town would have been a major moment for Ash Morgan. But then again, at the start of the season, the Newcastle-based Welshman was thinking about packing his bags and going home to the UK as well. Now a group 1-winning, in-demand jockey in Sydney, Morgan will look to add to his 'incredible' season with a sixth stakes victory when he rides Glory Daze in the listed WJ McKell Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday. All five of Morgan's Australian stakes wins have come this year, after riding Iowna Merc to victory in the listed Canterbury Sprint on New Year's Day. The real turning point, though, came on November 2 when he took Private Harry to his maiden win at Newcastle. The Nathan Doyle-trained colt remains unbeaten in five starts, giving Morgan his biggest wins, in the group 1 Galaxy and $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight, and changing his life in the process. 'It's been incredible,' Morgan said. 'Before Harry won his maiden, I was thinking I might just pack my bags up and go home. Then I won the maiden on him and I thought, no, I better stay a bit longer. 'But there was a time I was thinking that. My daughter is at home, in Ireland, and I'm thinking, what am I doing? 'I was riding plenty of winners, but it wasn't what I wanted to do, but then he won his maiden and there was a reason to stay.'
Sydney Morning Herald
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘He's a real horseman': Waller ‘honoured' to give veteran jockey city chances
Veteran jockey Jeff Penza is content riding on the provincial and country circuits, but when Chris Waller calls needing someone to fill the void in town, he answers. And Waller says it's an honour to give the 55-year-old opportunities. Penza will make a rare trip to a Saturday metropolitan meeting to partner up to six Waller-trained runners, including WJ McKell Cup chance Je Zous, on the 10-race card at Rosehill. 'I'd struggle to get seven rides at the provincials on a Saturday, so very happy,' said Penza, who was down for seven Waller rides before Chica Mojito was scratched on Thursday. 'I don't do a lot of trackwork for him, but I always fill the gaps when they need me to. If they ring me up the night before and ask me to do trackwork, I'm always going to say yes. 'We go back a long, long way. I'm pretty sure I was riding for him when he first came over from New Zealand [in 2000], so he's very supportive and I appreciate it very much.' Penza rides consistently for Waller at provincial meetings, but he has enjoyed success with the premier Sydney stable at higher levels, including with long-shot Summer Flame just last month in the listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone. Waller said there were 'lots of options, but we had no hesitation going to Jeff' for Saturday's runners. 'He's a credit to himself and his family, how fit he keeps himself, and he's a real horseman,' said Waller, who will win a 15th consecutive Sydney trainers premiership.
The Age
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
‘He's a real horseman': Waller ‘honoured' to give veteran jockey city chances
Veteran jockey Jeff Penza is content riding on the provincial and country circuits, but when Chris Waller calls needing someone to fill the void in town, he answers. And Waller says it's an honour to give the 55-year-old opportunities. Penza will make a rare trip to a Saturday metropolitan meeting to partner up to six Waller-trained runners, including WJ McKell Cup chance Je Zous, on the 10-race card at Rosehill. 'I'd struggle to get seven rides at the provincials on a Saturday, so very happy,' said Penza, who was down for seven Waller rides before Chica Mojito was scratched on Thursday. 'I don't do a lot of trackwork for him, but I always fill the gaps when they need me to. If they ring me up the night before and ask me to do trackwork, I'm always going to say yes. 'We go back a long, long way. I'm pretty sure I was riding for him when he first came over from New Zealand [in 2000], so he's very supportive and I appreciate it very much.' Penza rides consistently for Waller at provincial meetings, but he has enjoyed success with the premier Sydney stable at higher levels, including with long-shot Summer Flame just last month in the listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone. Waller said there were 'lots of options, but we had no hesitation going to Jeff' for Saturday's runners. 'He's a credit to himself and his family, how fit he keeps himself, and he's a real horseman,' said Waller, who will win a 15th consecutive Sydney trainers premiership.
The Age
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
From packing his bags to glory days: Morgan out to cap amazing season
At the start of this season, getting the ride on an early favourite in a stakes race in town would have been a major moment for Ash Morgan. But then again, at the start of the season, the Newcastle-based Welshman was thinking about packing his bags and going home to the UK as well. Now a group 1-winning, in-demand jockey in Sydney, Morgan will look to add to his 'incredible' season with a sixth stakes victory when he rides Glory Daze in the listed WJ McKell Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday. All five of Morgan's Australian stakes wins have come this year, after riding Iowna Merc to victory in the listed Canterbury Sprint on New Year's Day. The real turning point, though, came on November 2 when he took Private Harry to his maiden win at Newcastle. The Nathan Doyle-trained colt remains unbeaten in five starts, giving Morgan his biggest wins, in the group 1 Galaxy and $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight, and changing his life in the process. 'It's been incredible,' Morgan said. 'Before Harry won his maiden, I was thinking I might just pack my bags up and go home. Then I won the maiden on him and I thought, no, I better stay a bit longer. 'But there was a time I was thinking that. My daughter is at home, in Ireland, and I'm thinking, what am I doing? 'I was riding plenty of winners, but it wasn't what I wanted to do, but then he won his maiden and there was a reason to stay.'
News.com.au
14 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
2025 WJ McKell Cup: Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott flex French connection with Elamaz
French import Elamaz can emulate his compatriot Eliyass by making a winning Australian debut in a stakes race at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Elamaz is the $4 favourite for the Listed $200,000 WJ McKell Cup (2000m). Elamaz is raced in similar interests to stablemate Eliyaas, who also came from France with a record of six wins and two second placings from eight starts before winning the Lord Mayor's Cup over the Rosehill 2000m course at his Australian debut 12 months ago. Eliyass trained on to win the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes, defeating Ceolwulf, then ran third to champion mare Via Sistina in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes. Bott said there are obvious similarities between Eliyass and new stable recruit Elamaz who had seven races in France, finishing top two every start with four wins, all at 1600m. 'Elamaz was sourced by the same agent, Louis Le Metayer, on the back of Eliyaas last year,'' Bott said. 'Louis knows the form well over there, he has all the contacts and knows all the players. This horse, Elamaz, profile-wise in terms of his race record is very consistent, just like Eliyass.'' Bott said Elamaz had had a thorough grounding for his Australian debut with three barriers trials in which he has shown obvious talent each time. Elamaz (Ire) (Gleneagles (Ire) - Emiyna (Usa) par Marias mon (Usa)) @mickaelbarzalon @GraffardRacing @AgaKhanStuds #Elamaz Prix Albanilla (St cloud - 1600m) — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) May 1, 2024 • 'The majority of his races have been over a mile so we are stretching him out to this distance for the first time and he is first-up so we are learning about him on Saturday,'' Bott said. 'But he has had a good grounding with the three trials, he's a nice, progressive horse and is a very interesting one to watch on Saturday.'' Waterhouse is hoping for her fifth win in the McKell Cup after previous wins with Grand Connection (1995), We're Dancing (2002), Ecuador (2016), Hush Writer (2019) and Zoumon (2023), the last two wins in partnership with Bott. The trainers also have Townsend ($7.50) lining up in the McKell Cup and believe he is set to improve after three runs from a spell. 'Townsend showed promise last preparation, particularly over this trip,'' Bott said. 'He hasn't quite had things go his way this time in but the blinkers are coming off and this looks a nice race for him to capitalise and bounce back to his best.''
