MORGAN KEEN TO “KNOCKOUT” COFFS CUP RIVALS

ASH Morgan is keen to carry on from his benchmark season and start the new one by “setting the record straight” in Friday’s Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m).

Newcastle’s Group 1 winning jockey will again team with trainer Ciaron Maher in the $150,000 Big Dance eligibility feature.

He rides It’s A Knockout, having finished a close second last year on the same trainer’s well fancied Charterhouse ($8.50) to Time Quest ($7).

“I’m looking forward to riding her; she looks to have a really good chance,” Morgan said this afternoon.

This will be the third Friday running of the Coffs Harbour Cup, previously run on a Thursday date.

Morgan has had three rides in the Cup, and finished second twice and fourth in the other.

He was also narrowly beaten on Newcastle trainer Jason Deamer’s Greek Hero to fellow Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ Itz Lily in 2021, and ran fourth in 2023 on another Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini’s now retired Hosier, who had won the Cup the previous year when prepared by Lees.

It’s A Knockout, a rising five-year-old daughter of Dundeel, is sure to be one of the top Cup hopes after two excellent runs in Sydney this campaign.

She won a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) first-up at Royal Randwick on June 21 – and the form from that race has been outstanding.

Runner-up Oh Diamond Lil subsequently has won twice there, and third placegetter Glad You Think So won at the same track last Saturday.

It’s A Knockout then ran a close third to Getafix and Cool Jakey in a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on July 5.

It’s A Knockout has raced only nine times and has won at 1500m, and also was placed in Group 3 company at 1600m against her own sex at Randwick in March.

Twice NSW leading jockey in terms of winners, Morgan hasn’t ridden as many this season, but nonetheless his 113 includes a Group 1 breakthrough on Private Harry in the $1m The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens and $3m Sunlight Plate (1100m) at the Sunshine Coast on the unbeaten Newcastle colt, the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick on Matcha Latte, and $500,000 The Coast (1600m) at Gosford on Know Thyself.

Morgan has now established himself in town, evidenced by the fact his mounts have earned nearly $9m this season, compared with $4.9m the previous season when he tallied 140 winners.

Morgan rode Private Harry work at Broadmeadow last Saturday morning, with the star sprinter likely to trial at Rosehill on August 11.

He was off early to Rosehill this morning to ride in barrier trials, and was very happy with the performance of his opening ride Perfumist, who spreadeagled her rivals by nine lengths plus in a 1000m Group heat on the course proper.

“I went to New Zealand to ride her in the Listed The Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie in March at the end of her last preparation,” Morgan said.

“She has come back great.”

Morgan also won a 900m Rosehill trial on Perfumist’s ex-stablemate, the pacy Passeggiata.

Private Harry’s stablemates Hidden Motive and Churchill’s Choice are also being geared for spring campaigns by trainer Nathan Doyle, and go to Gosford next Tuesday to trial.

Another stablemate, the talented Harlem Queen, returned to Doyle’s Newcastle barn yesterday.

Story John Curtis, July 29, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos