Luke Morris hopes he can kick-start a successful autumn campaign by securing a Group Two double during the opening day of the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster on Thursday.
The 36-year-old will team up with Sir Mark Prescott to partner Moon Target in the Betfred May Hill Stakes before riding stablemate Consent in the Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes.
After winning a maiden on Newmarket’s July Course, and a novice at Yarmouth, Moon Target lost her unbeaten record last time out when finishing second behind Precise in the Group Three Virgin Bet Prestige Fillies’ Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood last month (replay below).
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However, Morris, who is yet to win a Group race this year, believes that the step up to a mile on a more conventional track will help the Cheveley Park Stud-owned daughter of Cracksman return to winning ways.
Morris said: “Moon Target ran extremely well in the Prestige. She probably wasn’t seen to the best effect on the turning track at Goodwood. She never really got in a particular rhythm the whole way round at Goodwood. I always felt she was chasing her tail from the off where she was half-a-beat slowly away.
“I did think inside the two furlong pole that I probably would go and beat Precise, but credit to Precise she kept digging away and finding in front.
“I think a nice level, galloping track at Doncaster will allow her to get into a good rhythm, and going up another furlong, will hopefully bring about a bit more improvement.
“A little bit of dig in the ground will help her as the ground was lively enough at Goodwood.
“I had a sit on her on Tuesday morning and she seemed in good order so I’m very hopeful she can step forward from her Goodwood run.”
Although not partnering Moon Target on her debut, Morris admits he was not surprised in the manner in which she won first time out under Oisin Murphy.
He said: “I had ridden her at home and I thought she was very good before she ran first time out. It just happened to be that Consent and Moon Target ran on the same day. I went for Consent, who won, and Moon Target ended up winning as well.
"Her work had been hugely promising, and she had been working better than everything she had been working with. You just hoped that on the day she was at a decent level and so it proved.”
Moon Target, who is a general 25/1 chance for next year’s Betfred 1000 Guineas, has a way to go to reach the exploits of Alpinista and Marsha, both former mares Morris partnered to Group One glory for Prescott.
However, he feels that she is going the right way.
Morris added: “She is obviously a proper stakes filly. She lacks maybe a little bit of size, and scope, of the better fillies we have had at Sir Mark’s. She is probably a little bit more precious and more forward than those fillies so it is difficult to really compare.
“I hope she can be a 1000 Guineas filly next year and being a daughter of Cracksman I can potentially see her getting a little bit further than a mile. Fingers crossed Thursday goes well and that she can continue to progress.”
And 35 minutes later Morris will swap the silks of Cheveley Park Stud for the green and yellow ones of Denford Stud to partner Consent in the Park Hill Stakes.
Although finding one too good on her pattern race debut in the Group Three The Aga Khan Studs Prix Lady O’Reilly at Deauville last month, Morris expects the step up to an extended mile and three-quarters here to unlock further improvement in the Lope De Vega filly.
He added: “Her work has been very good all year and she was a filly that we liked at two. She wasn’t over raced at two, and she was brought along steadily with her three-year-old career in mind.
“I thought she was very impressive at Newbury on her comeback and I thought she acquitted herself well in stakes company at Deauville. I had to wait for a bit of room in France and she finished off very strongly. I thought she shaped like a filly that would stay a bit further.
“I think a little bit more dig in the ground will help her. She is a smart filly going forwards and as much as her mark is already one hundred and two and I would hope she can build on that.”
With 78 winners on the board already this year Morris remains on track to reach riding a century of victories for the 14th time in his career.
And with the likes of Consent and Moon Target to look forward to, plus the returning Tiffany in the Group One Preis von Europa at Cologne, it is easy to see why Morris is optimistic he can add some quality to his final overall tally.
He added: “Numerically it has been a very solid year. I’ve had seventy eight winners which puts me well on course to have over one hundred winners which is good.
“Quality wise it has probably lacked a little bit, but we have some smart fillies for the backend. There is obviously these two fillies and Tiffany, who had a very good last year, will hopefully reappear at the end of the month in a Group One in Germany.
“She was a Group Two and Group Three winner along with being placed in two Group Ones. If we can make her a Group One winner it would be fantastic. I’m hoping for a really productive autumn.”
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