MORGAN CONFIRMED FOR PMC FINAL FAVORITE MATCHA LATTE

RACING’S newest Group 1 winning jockey Ash Morgan will retain the Provincial-Midway Championships ride on favorite Matcha Latte.

Wyong trainer Sara Ryan, who was at Hawkesbury trials this morning where her apprentice Bronte Simpson is getting closer to gaining her ticket to ride in races, confirmed the booking.

Morgan partnered Matcha Latte for the first time at Newcastle last Thursday when he won the fifth Qualifier (1400m), and was promoted to outright favoritism for the $1m Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 on Day 2 of The Championships.

It will be the first time the Welsh expat, who joined the Group 1 list when successful on unbeaten Newcastle three-year-old Private Harry in last Saturday’s $1m The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens, has been involved in the Provincial-Midway Final.

He rode at the corresponding Newcastle meeting last year when Territory Express, with Zac Lloyd aboard, took the PMC Final.

Ryan said Matcha Latte had come through his second run from an enforced break (he bled in a Randwick trial after being narrowly beaten by Here To Shock in the Group 3 Cameron Handicap, 1500m at Newcastle last September) really well.

“It’s only two and a half weeks to the Final, and there’s no need to race him again before then,” she said.

“I’m not looking at trialling him either.”

Morgan also will ride hat-trick seeker Iowna Merc in the $4m Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 5 on the opening day of The Championships.

He gained a stakes breakthrough when successful on the gelding in the Listed Canterbury Sprint (1200m) on New Year’s Day.

Iowna Merc, with 52kg, is guaranteed a Doncaster start, courtesy of his latest victory in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 15, when ridden by Josh Parr.

Ryan, meanwhile, is awaiting weights for Friday’s $150,000 Muswellbrook Gold Cup (1500m) before making a decision on Matcha Latte’s stablemate Roma Avenue’s next start.

Roma Avenue is an acceptor for the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1550m) on the Kensington track tomorrow, where apprentice Zac Wadick’s 2kg claim will lessen the gelding’s 62.5kg topweight if Ryan opts to go there.

Last year’s PMC Final winner Territory Express won’t be seen again until the spring.

Territory Express trialled at Kembla Grange yesterday morning, and was given 58kg for Saturday’s Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens.

However, trainer Paul Niceforo said this morning he had decided to spell the five-year-old.

“It’s been a frustrating preparation without racing him,” he said.

“He had the trip south to Victoria and didn’t race at Flemington earlier in the month because of a stone bruise, and then has had to trial again to be cleared by RacingNSW stewards,” Niceforo said.

“I feel it’s best to put him out for a nice break, and look ahead to the spring.”

Story John Curtis, March 25, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos