Morgan working towards change of luck after season of missed chances

After a breakthrough 2024-25 season, this campaign shaped as an even better one for jockey Ash Morgan.

And while it has been good - 87 winners, including one at stakes grade, and a strike rate of 15.3 per cent with two months left - the Newcastle-based jockey has been left ruing what could have been, and motivated to build towards a better return next season.

The Welshman scored a first stakes-level win in 2024-25, then added five more, including a maiden group 1 in the Galaxy with Private Harry, and 26 metropolitan victories overall among 114.

The controversial loss of the ride on Private Harry, which later pulled up lame and missed the Everest, was an early blow this season for Morgan but not the only one.

He was to ride Half Yours in Sydney before it changed course in September, opening the door for Jamie Melham to land the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double.

And last month, he was offered a chance on Rothfire and Vantorix, which went on to win the group 1 Doomben 10,000 and group 2 Spirit Of Boom, after committing to rides at Scone that week.

“I ran second in the Midway at Scone, so it was worth it,” Morgan quipped.

“I had a really good start to the year, and it just sort of weakened off in December-January, and I got a couple of suspensions, nearly three or four weeks, just towards the end of the carnival.

“I’ve had a bit of bad luck as well. I’ve missed out some winners where the offers were there. I got offered Rothfire in the 10,000, but I was already committed to Scone, things like that.

“And Half Yours goes to Melbourne instead of Sydney ... it could have been a great year, but I’ve just been missing it by that much, but now we’re building the blocks up again.

“My numbers are down a bit because usually this time of year I’d probably be on 100 winners. But I’m just focusing on provincial and metro, off my track work and trials, so it takes away from the number of meetings a bit, but I want to try to keep establishing myself.

“I’ve ridden four Saturday winners in the last month or so, so it’s starting to pick up again.”

Morgan has ridden Stardeel and Prima Bella to wins over the past two Saturdays in Sydney for trainers Bjorn Baker and Matt Smith respectively, and he links with them again at Randwick.

He was to partner Monte Supreme for Baker in the feature Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) but she was scratched to run at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

He still rides Hollywood Hero ($26) for Baker in the seventh, a benchmark 94 handicap over 1300m, where the six-year-old resumes.

“He’s kicking off, but he ran really well first up over this so