Tag Archive for: Laura Morgan

Ayr raid for Notlongtillmay if Aintree deemed to come too soon

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Laura Morgan could bypass Aintree and run Notlongtillmay at Ayr next month after his gallant runner-up effort to Stage Star in the Turners’ Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last week.

Sent off an unconsidered 40-1 chance, despite winning all three of his previous runs over fences, Adam Wedge’s mount just fell short to Paul Nicholls’ runner in his first attempt in Grade One company.

Morgan’s burgeoning and in-form Leicestershire operation did gain a measure of compensation with Big Changes winning a Doncaster handicap chase on Friday, followed by Whistleinthedark downing the Nicholls-trained Cap Du Mathan at Kempton on Saturday.

“It was a great week,” said Morgan. “Notlongtillmay well deserved to be there after what he’d gone and done.

“I suppose some people will think ‘smaller trainer’, and he has won around tracks like Musselburgh and Wetherby, so there was a question mark about going there in their minds.

“But he ran a screamer, especially off level weights, so we are delighted with him.”

Notlongtillmay, owned by former Nottingham Forest and Leicester City defender Alan Rogers, could head to the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, the opening race at Aintree’s Grand National Festival.

However, the promising seven-year-old may instead be held back for the Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices’ Chase at Ayr on April 22.

Morgan added: “He seems to have come out of it really well. I’m really pleased with him. He’s squealing and bucking in the field. He’ll have an easy week of it this week and then back to it again next.

“Aintree or Ayr will be the plan. One or the other. It depends. He’ll tell me, I think. We won’t rush anything. If I don’t think he is on the form he was going into Cheltenham, then he won’t go to Aintree.

“We will just give him an extra week for Ayr and he will tell us.”

Nicholls was one of the first to congratulate Morgan following Whistleinthedark’s success under 3lb claimer Patrick Cowley.

“We got our revenge on Saturday,” added Morgan. “Paul came up to me and said, ‘Ah well, you beat us today!’.

“I thought, ‘I’d sooner have beaten you on Thursday!’, but it was brilliant.”

Whistleinthedark has won all three of his starts over fences and the eight-year-old could have his sights set a little higher now.

“He looks very progressive and very exciting,” said Morgan. “He will either go to Aintree or maybe Ayr.

“It is nice to have a few to be going to these bigger meetings with. It’s nice to give the big boys a bloody nose once in while, otherwise it gets boring!”

Whistleinthedark shines at Kempton for Laura Morgan

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Laura Morgan’s Whistleinthedark continued a good run of form when winning the Virgin Bet Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Kempton under 3lb-claimer Patrick Cowley.

The eight-year-old was second on his seasonal debut and has won twice since, most recently taking a Wetherby novice by nine lengths before stepping back to two miles and two furlongs.

A 7-2 shot, he pursued the leader in the early stages, eventually taking up the lead himself to triumph by a length and a half from Paul Nicholls’ Cap Du Mathan.

Morgan said: “I’m absolutely delighted, when I saw Harry Cobden (second) coming up on the outside there I was a bit worried, but I think he’s done that really well. It was obviously a drop back in trip today and up in grade, I thought he did that well.

“Today wasn’t the target, I thought that we might go to Aintree with him but I’m not too sure yet. I thought we’d go up in grade today and see what he does and he’s done that nicely.”

Suzy Smith’s Animal was then a decisive winner of the Virgin Bet Handicap Chase under Charlie Hammond, justifying his status as 100-30 joint-favourite when winning by seven lengths.

Hammond said: “He’s a lot easier to ride in his races, he’s relaxed more. Normally we drop him out, today we were able to ride him handy. We went a bit wider for fresher ground but he’s jumped and travelled like the best horse in the race and he’s done it nicely.

“He quite often hits a flat spot in his race and then stays on and hits the line really well. The race has never quite been there for him but it was nice to get a race today, we were a bit concerned about the ground and the quick turnaround, but it’s worked out really nicely.”

Richard Bandey was pleased with the performance of the promising Theatre Man, a five-and-a-half-length winner of the Virgin Bet Fives Novices’ Hurdle.

Having run well in three hurdle starts, the seven-year-old was an 11-4 chance and made all of the running before comfortably pulling clear to cross the line five and a half lengths ahead of Nicky Henderson’s Issuing Authority.

Richard Bandey's Theatre Man
Richard Bandey’s Theatre Man (David Davies/PA)

The trainer said: “He’s done that really nicely today. He hasn’t run since December, so that’s the first opportunity that’s come about due to the ground and a few other bits and pieces. He’s done it really nicely, unchallenged, from the front, it seemed to suit the horse.

“He was carrying a 7lb penalty and Mr Henderson’s horse could have put up a serious challenge and it could have been a close affair. He’s it done it that nicely, I’m pleasantly surprised.

“I’d thought about a run round Cheltenham in April but we might be looking at Aintree now, a graded race, you might have to think about something like that.

“Next season he’ll go chasing. I love the way he jumps a hurdle but I think if he does it like that over a fence, he’ll be very impressive.”

Loughderg Rocco absence is blow for Laura Morgan

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Promising chaser Loughderg Rocco has been ruled for the rest of the season through injury.

The son of Shirocco overturned the odds-on Unexpected Party, who was third in Grade One company behind Arkle favourite Jonbon previously, at Leicester in December.

But any plans of a return to Cheltenham, where he was fifth in the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle behind Blazing Khal in December 2021, have had to be scrapped by trainer Laura Morgan.

The seven-year-old, owned by the Newark Castle Partnership, was as short as 10-1 for next month’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival.

“He won’t be going as he has picked up a little injury unfortunately. It is a bit disappointing for us,” said Morgan.

“He won well at Leicester, but we will have to give him a bit of time now. Unfortunately, it is just one of those things.

“It is nothing major, but we wouldn’t want to rush him.

“He will probably have a break now and have the summer off. He is too nice to go and wreck him, so you are best to err on the side of caution.”

Unbeaten chaser Notlongtillmay could still provide the yard with a presence at the meeting.

The Alan Rogers-owned gelding has won all three starts over fences including two impressive victories at Musselburgh on his last two starts.

Morgan is still pondering options for the seven-year-old, who is a general 33-1 chance for the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase and 16-1 for the Grand Annual.

Morgan added: “Notlongtillmay might possibly run in the Grand Annual, but there wouldn’t be much else. Loughderg Rocco’s injury is a bit of a gutter, but it is what it is.”

Meanwhile, Percussion, who has twice been placed over the unique Grand National fences, is being primed for another trip to Aintree.

Third in the respective Grand Sefton and Becher Chases in November and December, Percussion was then fifth to Annsam in a three-mile Kempton handicap.

Morgan hopes the Evan-Robert Hanbury-owned eight-year-old can lift his official rating next time, with a return to the Liverpool track in mind.

“We are hoping that Percussion is placed or might win one, so his mark will go up slightly and then he might go for the Topham,” she added.

“The owners are quite keen to go to Aintree. He should be out in the next two weeks.”

‘He seems to have improved no end’ – Notlongtillmay under Cheltenham consideration

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Laura Morgan looks set to hand Notlongtillmay an entry in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham after completing a three-timer for the yard at Musselburgh on Saturday.

The Alan Rogers-owned gelding joined the Waltham On The Wolds yard from Chris Gordon, having won a novice hurdle at Fontwell in January 2022, and has clearly enjoyed the change of scenery.

The seven-year-old backed up a win on his chasing debut at Wetherby in November with two further victories at Musselburgh, the latest a nine-length victory romp over an extended two and a half miles.

Leicestershire-based Morgan is now deliberating whether to take him to next month’s Festival meeting, although she has ruled out a tilt at the Turners’ Novices’ Chase, for which he is a general 33-1 chance.

Morgan said: “He seems to have improved no end. I can’t believe it. Chris said to me that he used to struggle really badly with bleeding problems.

“Touch wood, that has not happened at all. That was my main priority and hopefully we are on the right road.”

Morgan is in two minds about running Notlongtillmay at the Festival, although feels a drop back in trip might be on the cards if he does.

“I find it hard this season to be going mad with a novice. He only had his third start over fences the other day.

“I’m a small yard and of course I’d want to have a Cheltenham runner, but at the same time I just wouldn’t want to go and wreck him this season, because he’s probably only going to have one more run.

“I will definitely pop an entry in the Grand Annual without a shadow of a doubt, but while he’s been winning over two and a half, Brian (Hughes) says you could drop him back to two (miles). He’d say he’d be there with every shout. So let’s have a look and see how we go.”

Notlongtillmay, whose nickname in the yard is ‘Maurice’, has largely been campaigned over flatter tracks than he would encounter at Cheltenham, a fact that concerns Morgan.

She added: “If he doesn’t go to Cheltenham, it would either be Aintree or Ayr, but it is a long time until then. While he’s fit and in great form, we might as well pop an entry in the Grand Annual.

“A strongly-run race will really suit him but while I want to be going, he’s won on pretty much all flat tracks, which is slightly worrying.

“In my heart I’d love to be going because I have a horse good enough to compete, but at the same time, what if he gets there and hates the track? It is a difficult one.”

Meanwhile, Percussion – placed in both the Grand Sefton and the Becher Handicap Chase over Aintree’s Grand National fences – is in line for a return to the Liverpool track.

The Evan-Robert Hanbury-owned eight-year-old has won three of his 12 starts over fences and been placed on another five occasions.

Having bypassed the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster, Morgan intends to give him one more run to qualify him for the Topham Handicap Chase on April 14.

“The plan is to go for the Topham, but obviously he will need to go up a bit, so he will go to Doncaster or Wetherby and then see where we are then,” said Morgan.

“I know the owners would love to go there. They also have Fantastic Lady and Nicky (Henderson) is aiming her for Cheltenham, but she might go for the Topham as well.

“It is just the fact that ‘Percy’ loves those National fences and jumps them so well.”