Luke Morris

Farhh's Upwardly Mobile Tiffany Dominates The Hoppings

Honed and prepped by Sir Mark Prescott in two listed contests in Germany, the Elite Racing Club's Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}--Affinity {GB}, by Sadler's Wells) stepped on to a bigger stage on Friday only to announce herself a new star actor in Newcastle's G3 Hoppings Fillies' Stakes. Always travelling comfortably tucked in behind the leaders by Luke Morris, the 7-2 joint-favourite was able to move to the front without the industry with which her talented rider is renowned passing two out. Forging clear of a smart bunch for this renewal,...

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'Hero, Legend, Dude': Brave Emperor has the World at his Feet

With an increasing number of international stamps in his passport, the multiple Group winner Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation) is fast becoming one of the most admirable horses in training. Only twice in his 16 starts has the Archie Watson-trained four-year-old ever been out of the first three, but more impressive is that 10 of those runs have ended in victory - in five different countries, and counting. On Saturday, his 2024 debut resulted in a win in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup in Qatar, a local Group 2 staged...

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Bradsell Scratched From BC Turf Sprint

Group 1 winner Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) has been scratched from the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint by trainer Archie Watson. A winner of the King's Stand S. this term, the Victorious Racing runner was due to be ridden by Luke Morris, as his regular rider Hollie Doyle is serving a suspension. Europeans are still strongly represented in the Santa Anita affair, however, as G1 Nunthorpe S. hero Live In the Dream (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) is still signed on, as is Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never).

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Moreira Looking Forward To Shergar Cup, Retirement Delayed

Joao 'Magic Man' Moreira, Rest of the World team captain for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot on Aug. 12, is looking forward to the challenge, as he delays his retirement for now. "I was struggling with hip injuries at the end of last year, which I am not over yet but there is no doubt that I am a lot better than I was," said the four-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey. "I was thinking about quitting riding but, once I started getting better, I felt I could...

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Sioux Nation's Brave Emperor Best In Krefeld Test

Giving up a berth in the Kentucky Derby, connections of Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation--Roman Gal {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) took to the contrasting scene of Krefeld on Friday to garner the G3 Dr Busch-Memorial with their upwardly-mobile campaigner. Winning had become a habit for Middleham Park's flag-bearer last term and Cagnes-Sur-Mer's Listed Prix de la Californie was added to his resume after he took to the Polytrack there like a duck to water in February. Again on top in Kempton's "Road To The Kentucky Derby" Conditions S....

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'I've Never Given Myself a Chance to Fail': Luke Morris on High Days and Hard Work

There can have been no finer example of reward for effort than the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victory of Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Not only for the mare herself, slogging through the Longchamp mud with five Group 1 wins already to her name, but for her trainer Sir Mark Prescott and owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing, who have collectively a century of experience in this great sport between them. Then there was her jockey, Luke Morris. Not the most fashionable member of the British weighing-room, but certainly the most worthy, for...

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Arc Winner Luke Morris Notches 2,000th British Career Winner At Southwell

Arc-winning jockey Luke Morris passed another major milestone at Southwell on Tuesday evening when partnering his 2,000th British winner aboard Colours Of Freedom (GB) (Mayson {GB}) for Archie Watson. Morris claimed the ninth Group 1 winner of his career when guiding Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe glory at ParisLongchamp last October for Sir Mark Prescott. And it was Prescott, who has been Morris's boss for 11 years, who came in for special praise, along with his agent Neil Allen, after the rider passed the...

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2000 Winners for Luke Morris

Jockey Luke Morris, best known for his winning ride aboard Kirsten Rausing's Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in this year's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, registered the 2000th victory of his career when guiding Recuerdame (The Factor) to a half-length success Monday at Lingfield. Though he currently sits on 94 winners for the year, Morris has brought up better than 100 each year since 2011. Eight of Morris's nine career Group 1 winners has come for Alpinista's trainer Sir Mark Prescott, who told Sporting Life: "Its a great tribute to...

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Arc Glory For Frankel's Alpinista

Carried out in driving rain and accompanying gloom, Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe went to Kirsten Rausing's Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who with her ever-whitening coat and mud-dappled white silks navigated what resembled a ploughed field like a trail of luminescence at ParisLongchamp. Taking the eye throughout as she made easy work of the swiftly-deteriorating conditions under Luke Morris, who had been in action on the all-weather at Wolverhampton the night before, the 10-3 favourite waited with all the learned patience of such a beautifully-nurtured 5-year-old for...

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Frankel's Alpinista Secures Fifth Group 1 On The Knavesmire

Kirsten Rausing's homebred 5-year-old mare Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), unbeaten through five tests last term, disposed of esteemed rivals in last month's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on seasonal return and maintained her winning streak with a decisive success as the 7-4 favourite in a stellar edition of Thursday's G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks on the Knavesmire, a "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November. Successful in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin, G1 Preis von Europa and G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern...

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Frankel's Alpinista Takes The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud

Kirsten Rausing's Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was making her comeback in Sunday's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, but there was no sign of rustiness as she overwhelmed a deep field for a fourth consecutive top-level victory. Now unbeaten in her last six starts including the G2 Lancashire Oaks, G1 Grosser Preis Von Berlin, G1 Preis Von Europa and G1 Grosser Preis Von Bayern, the Sir Mark Prescott-trained grey was held up early travelling notably strongly for Luke Morris in rear of mid-division. Unleashed wide at the top of the straight,...

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Frankel's Alpinista Upholds Family Tradition in Germany

Kirsten Rausing's 4-year-old filly Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) had yet to taste defeat in four prior outings this term and lined up for Sunday's G1 Allianz Grosser Preis von Bayern at Munich coming back off wins in Hoppegarten's Aug. 8 G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin and Cologne's Sept. 26 G1 Preis von Europa last time. The homebred grey's second dam Albanova (GB) (Alzao), who was also conditioned by Sir Mark Prescott, had rattled off a trio of German Group 1 triumphs in a nine-week spree during 2004 and she emulated...

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