Morgan Cup trio bid to be on-song

Local trainer Cody Morgan is launching a three-pronged attack on the Country Music Cup and feels any of his trio is capable of winning.

The trio all have the form and ability to win the 1200m sprint and Morgan thinks the result will come down to who has the right luck on the day.

Exonumia and Macleay are on the second and third line of betting respectively behind former Queensland gelding So Country while Lostma Cowboy is at double figure odds but can’t be discounted.

Morgan said Macleay would be better suited over further, but a big drop in weight from his last start win over 1400m here on December 24 brings him right into contention.

“I would like to potentially run him in the Country Championships and he is a horse who wants further but I didn’t want to run him over 1400m or a mile leading up to it,” Morgan said. “I have kept him fresh and I will give him a couple of 1200m runs and if he is going well enough, he can run in the Championship Qualifier, if not we will step him up at trip and find some suitable races

“While this is a bit short for him, I do expect him to be very competitive.”

Exonumia returns from a let-up but has won first-up previously and has placed at two of his three runs at the track and distance.

“He is probably my best chance in the Cup,” Morgan said. “I actually like the wide gate for him because he can be a little slow into stride.

“He should roll across and put himself in the first three or four. I’d say he would be the pick of mine.”

Lostma Cowboy is the least experienced of Morgan’s Cup trio and the roughest in the market but he warned not to underestimate the gelding. The four-year-old was narrowly beaten into second by Calgary King over 1200m at Moree at his last run on November 3.