Straight to the top as ladies dominate premiership standings

For the first time in recent seasons, Menangle’s KerryAnn Morris is on top of the New South Wales Trainers’ Premiership.

Her Lucky Lodge team has trained 65 winners and 123 placings since the beginning of 2021 and lead narrowly over the powerful Belinda McCarthy outfit, which has also trained 65 winners and the same number of placegetters.

Around one third of KerryAnn’s winners have saluted at Penrith so it is no wonder that the Morris clan love nothing better than to travel up the M7 each Thursday night; they’re heading there tonight with seven runners.

“I am really keen to get to Penrith tonight as I have a great book of drives with some undeniable chances,” said KerryAnn’s husband Robbie Morris.

“We all know that anything can happen in racing, but I am going to Penrith brimming with confidence.

“I have seven drives for trainers that I regularly drive, for including KerryAnn, Troy Williams and Roy Roots and after doing my form on the meeting, I thought I could go very close to the money with all of them.

“I am particularly excited to be driving two former Kiwi horses that Roy Roots Jr has brought over here to race.

“They are both owned by one of Roy’s most loyal owners in Paul Borg, who is also a great supporter of mine.

“I have seen a little bit of Surfers Delight in New Zealand who will contest Race 8.

“I sat behind him in a Menangle trial three weeks ago and he was only beaten by eight metres and the winner clocked 1:52.1.

“He would only have to reproduce that sort of run to win tonight. To me, his future looks bright.

“The other Kiwi pacer that Roy is producing for the first time is the Bettors Delight colt, Boyzhavtime, who’s contesting Race 7.

“His form in New Zealand is hard to gauge but he trialled well at Penrith a fortnight ago and on paper he should prove too strong here.

“I have had a great run with horses owned by Paul and trained by Roy, most notably The Black Prince, who won us the Newcastle Mile.

“Hopefully, this pair can do good things too, moving forward.

“I have a lot of time for our little two-year-old Boomer Rock, who starts from barrier one in the last race.

“He is better than his form looks on paper.”

By Michael Dumesny for HRNSW