MORGAN - “I’LL GO ANYWHERE TO RIDE HALF YOURS”

ASH Morgan was dead serious – and understandably so.

“I told Tony McEvoy I will go anywhere to ride this horse,” the Newcastle jockey said this morning in the aftermath of his stunning Caloundra Cup victory yesterday on rising staying star Half Yours.

“He is the best stayer I have ridden since coming to Australia.

“And I’ve been on a few good ones such as Group 1 winners Warmonger and Arapaho, so I can say that about Half Yours with confidence.

McEvoy trains the four-year-old jointly with son Calvin and took him to Queensland for the $300,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast to try to boost his benchmark rating looking ahead to future targets.

“This was his first start at 2400m, and he got into a lovely rhythm and really exploded in the straight,” Morgan said.

“Stayers don’t usually show that turn of foot at the end, but he is a proper horse.

“I’m not sure at this stage what they will do with Half Yours next season, but Tony said his win opened up a lot of options.”

Such was the manner in which the gelding burst away that the $3.50 favorite romped home by four and a half lengths from Sydney stayer Bear On The Loose ($4.20) and Queenslander Felix The Scat ($17) to take his impressive record to five wins from only 10 starts.

Morgan could have ridden Half Yours (but already had another booking) when the gelding also blew away his rivals in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on May 31 at his first Sydney appearance.

Bookmakers reacted to Half Yours’ victory by shortening him to $26 for the Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October, and $34 for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in November.

McEvoy said he intended to rest the gelding up north before taking him back to the colder weather in the south, and hinted that the $500,000 Ballarat Cup (2000m) on December 6 would be his next major target, adding that the Caulfield Cup might wait until next year.

Morgan rode four horses for the McEvoy stable, and also won the opener on Mr Verse ($4.40 favorite), and was placed on Prestar ($2.80 favorite) and Charming Nic ($26).

“Their horses were presented in immaculate order,” Morgan said. “That’s the first time I have ridden for the McEvoys, and hopefully it won’t be the last.”

He very nearly clinched a treble, going under narrowly on $81 rank outsider Galifianakis in the last race.

Morgan, who returns home this evening and will next ride at Goulburn on Tuesday, put another seal on his best season to date.

Not only has he topped a century of winners for a third season in Australia, he also became a maiden Group 1 winner (Private Harry in The Galaxy at Rosehill Gardens in March), along with the Provincial-Midway Championships Final at Royal Randwick on Matcha Latte, and The Coast at Gosford on Know Thyself in May.

And of course the $3m Sunlight Plate (1200m) at the Sunshine Coast in January on unbeaten Newcastle colt Private Harry.

“I don’t mind riding at the Sunshine Coast at all,” Morgan chuckled.

Newcastle’s Dylan Gibbons, who rode Half Yours in that Rosehill victory and also when he ran another excellent race when runner-up over 2000m a fortnight later, didn’t miss out either yesterday.

He bagged a Rosehill treble, winning three of the last four races on Good Banter ($6), $61 roughie Estadio Mestalla (Listed Winter Stakes), and Brave One ($4.60).

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, with whom Gibbons served his apprenticeship, won the other Quaddie leg with a resuming Cloudland ($21), ridden by Josh Parr.

Story John Curtis, July 6, 2025