He was foreman for Alice Springs trainer Greg Connor during the Darwin Cup Carnival two years ago, but Red Centre trainer Dan Morgan will field runners for the first time at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
Morgan’s five-year-old gelding Castlereagh Kid lines up in the $60,000 Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) – the feature on Day 2 of the 2024 Carnival – and Don’t Be Dramatic, a gelding, confronts fellow three-year-olds over 1100m (BM66).
“I took Flying Start and Bold Tropic up for Greg a couple of years ago, it will be my first trip flying solo and I’m excited to head up there,” Morgan said on Wednesday from Larrimah – 500km south of Darwin – when he stopped for a pie en route to the Top End.
“I left Alice in my ute at 4am and hope to arrive in Darwin this evening – the horses also left this morning on the transport truck.”
Morgan, with a respectable 16 wins this season in the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership, was sceptical about making the 1500km trip north.
“I wasn’t going to go to Darwin, but Greg talked me into it, we’ll go and have a crack against the big boys,” he said.
“Initially, I wanted to take five or six horses, but it didn’t quite work out.
“Thankfully, the stars aligned with Castlereagh Kid and Don’t Be Dramatic – they’re going well and there’s races for them.”
With a trainer-jockey license, Morgan used to ride regularly for the Connor stable – he boasts 50 wins in the saddle at Pioneer Park.
The 30-year-old doesn’t ride as often these days, but hopes to achieve success at Fannie Bay as a trainer after five wins as a jockey.
Castlereagh Kid had three wins from 10 starts for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, including the Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield in 2022.
Late last year, he was fourth in a $130,000 Ballarat feature over 2000m (BM84) and fifth in the Werribee Cup (2000m).
In June, the son of Snitzel wasn’t sighted in his first two Red Centre starts over 1200m and 1400m before a close fourth over 1400m (BM64).
The $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on August 5 is his target, and with a rating of 82, he’s a likely starter – he’ll certainly have his hands full though in the Chief Minister’s Cup.
Don’t Be Dramatic, scratched from a 1000m Alice Springs maiden in his first career start in January after bolting following a clap of thunder, has three wins and two seconds from six starts from 1000-1400m.
“Castlereagh Kid’s a quality horse if you have a look through his record, he wants ground,” Morgan said.
“On speed, a tough horse like him over distance, I think the Darwin Cup is the perfect race – you’ve got to have a throw at the stumps.
“Don’t Be Dramatic, his first prep was sensational and he’s come back really well from a spell.”
Morgan said he would wait and see how the speedy Don’t Be Dramatic pulls up on Saturday before considering the $40,000 three-year-old feature over 1200m on July 27.
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