by Jonny Turner
A strong book of drives has John Morrison ready to see the last grass track meeting before winter off in style.
Among the horses the reinsman combines with is Franco Marek who will shoot for a hat-trick of wins when he starts in the feature pace at the Geraldine meeting on Sunday.
And Morrison thinks he can do it.
“He’s not a bad horse, he is learning the trade more than anything at this stage but he is still good enough to get the job done.”
“He is a pretty good beginner, so hopefully he can carry on beginning like he has been and get in a nice spot.”
“He shouldn’t be far away in that race.”
Morrison also combines with Champagneandwine in race 7 on Sunday.
The Malcolm Shinn trained mare looks very well placed in her 1850m assignment.
“She has dropped right back in the classes, she has been going really good races all through the country cups and races like that on the grass and she hasn’t had a lot of luck.”
“It is probably her race to get her foot back in the till, she went really good at Wingatui over the short trip from the mobile, so hopefully she won’t be too far away again.”
The John McDermott trained Jordy looks another solid eachway chance for Morrison in race 5.
“Sometimes we don’t know which Jordy is going to turn up.”
“But on breeding, if he could bring that to the races he would go pretty close.”
“He went good at Motukarara on Monday and he is starting to hit his straps.”
“The more racing he does the better he will be.”
“If he gets a good trip he should be thereabouts.”
On the back of a solid fifth at Methven earlier this month, grass track specialist Hurricane Banner has decent winning claims in race 9 for Morrison.
“He went good at Methven, he didn’t have the greatest of draws and I ended up back and up the fence.”
“It is good to see him draw 1 over the short distance on the grass, he loves those sorts of races.”
“He went honest enough last time to say if he got a good trip he could be thereabouts.”
Morrison also combines with Majestic Rollon (race 8), Random Spur (race 1) and Midnight Sioux (race 2) on Sunday