Newcastle jockey Ash Morgan will battle illness but not the pressure of getting the NSW premiership when he returns from suspension on Saturday at Randwick.
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Morgan is back from a six-day suspension with six rides on the city program - the last Saturday metropolitan meeting of the racing season, which wraps up on Wednesday.
The Welshman edged ahead in the NSW premiership race on 137.5 wins after a successful week heading into his ban. Newcastle jockey Aaron Bullock will finish on 137 after breaking his collarbone two weeks ago, while next closest is Tyler Schiller on 122.
"I got the time on the Sunday and I thought it was a bit of a challenge to get as many winners as I could in that week, and I was lucky," Morgan said. "I had a good run with seven that week.
"It will all just be a bonus now."
The only issue for Morgan on Saturday will be a bout of the flu, which hit him on Wednesday.
"I was trying to have a nice recovery week but it's gone the other way unfortunately," he said.
The 34-year-old's best ride on Saturday appeared to be the Paul Isaac-trained Need A Miracle, a $13 TAB chance in the class 3 Highway Handicap (1800m).
But his hopes improved later on Friday when he picked up the ride on Dr Evil ($8) in the Midway Handicap (1600m) after the withdrawal of Nash Rawiller because of illness.
The John Steinmetz-trained Dr Evil was a close second in a Midway at the track two weeks ago, but this time has an outside draw (17).
Need A Miracle also has a wide gate, in 15, but Morgan was excited to see what the four-year-old could do in his first crack at Highway grade after taking him to a last-start win at Scone.
"He's in good form," Morgan said. "It was the first time I'd sat on him the other day, and he'd led and gone hard his two starts before when he won and just got beat.
"He was just a half step slower for me the other day. They went really quick in the race and we got back, but I thought his win was good because we had to cart the field up to a tearaway leader and he's still a bit raw and got lost a bit up front.
"The winning margin probably wasn't as big as it should have been because of that.
"I'd say he's definitely Highway grade. I just don't know if it will be this preparation or the next. I think over a trip he can knock one of those off. He's quite a nice horse, but he's still far from the finished product.
"He's got the wide gate tomorrow and the rail's out, so I think if he went back, at least it will teach him to race that way and hopefully he can run over the top of them."
Morgan also has long-shot chances on Paul Perry-trained Cosy Corner (race five), Ciaron Maher's Miss You Ella (six) and David Atkins-prepared Promitto (nine). He has seven rides at Muswellbrook on Sunday.
SWEETMAN EYES BREAKTHROUGH
GREYHOUNDS: Bellbird trainer Ben Sweetman hopes a rare decent draw for Subsonic can lead to a breakthrough win at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Sweetman is yet to taste victory at the premier track but has had a second with Subsonic, which contests race two (520m) from box seven. Subsonic has been plagued by middle box draws but has still racked up five wins and five placings in 13 starts.
"He has the worst box draws of any dog I've ever had," Sweetman said. "Seven is actually a good result. He's a good dog. He's run second at Wenty, but hasn't put it together there yet. He's still young and there's the travel and long nights, but if he can beat the eight out, he's in for a red-hot shot."
"I want to get something off my back, and he's the best dog I've been taking there, so touch wood. If he can run up to his trial, he should be right in it.
"He runs a straight line, so if he can possie up next to the leader, he should have a shot."
Craig Kerry
Craig Kerry is a sports reporter for the Newcastle Herald.
Craig Kerry is a sports reporter for the Newcastle Herald.
