Unbiased warming up for tilt at north’s cups
TAMWORTH trainer Glenn Morgan expects top stayer Unbiased to be at his peak come late August, leading perfectly towards his grand final of the 2020 Cairns Cup.
The experienced NSW horseman is now making his annual Northern Australia trip a holiday.
This time last year he was driving up from Rockhampton to Cairns, staying in hotels, and moving up every few weeks, but on this occasion he has rented a house in Townsville and will move around wherever the races are.
Morgan, who has been in the racing industry for over 30 years, has two in today at Cluden Park, Cairns Cup aspirant Unbiased and the first-up Isilmo in the Class 2 Plate.
With seven-year-old gelding Unbiased, Morgan is looking to build into the preparation with the old stayer, encouraged by his first-up effort almost a month ago, having a crack at a Weight for Age race today, and will then plan towards the Mackay, Townsville and Cairns Cups.
There are question marks over how strong the northern Cups will be this year with reduced prizemoney on offer as well a lack of star power within the staying ranks on the eve of the 2020 carnival.
Morgan thinks the fields will still be competitive and believes his big bay will be ready.
“We have not got the horse wound up right until next month, he may be a bit short of a run this week, but with a plan in place, hopefully by Townsville and Cairns Cup, he will be at his peak,” Morgan said.
“I do not want him rock hard fit now and be peaking in June and July, these old geldings, you cannot keep them up for too long.
“While he will be fit enough to run a solid race this week, it will not be the be all and end all, we are not stressing it like that, we will ride him cold again and hopefully he can hit the line.
“We would like to get up to Cairns, I will assure you, the Townsville and Cairns fortnight next month, that is when he will be at his best.”
Morgan thinks Unbiased, a winner of $385,660 in career prize money, has come back as good as he was last year.
At the request of experienced rider Noel Callow, Unbiased was vetted and declared a late scratching before the 2019 Cairns Cup on veterinary advice when found to be lame in his off front leg.
Ridden by Callow at Cluden Park a few weeks earlier, Unbiased was beaten 0.2 lengths by The Harrovian in the Townsville Cup, who went on to add the Cairns Cup and Amateurs Cup.
Unbiased was considered one of the main contenders to topple The Harrovian and with the champion of the north no longer aimed toward the Cup races this year, the country NSW stable will have every chance to make up for last year.
Weight has got the best of Townsville rider Aidan Holt, who rode Unbiased last start, with Brad Pengelly on board today.
FNQ trainers Stephen Potiris, Janel Ryan, Rodney Miller and Trevor Rowe will start chances this afternoon in the $17,000 Weight for Age (2000m), a key lead in race towards the annual Cups.