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By Ray Hickson

A defence of his NSW jockey premiership isn’t at the forefront of Ash Morgan’s thinking right now but he’s not ruling out making a late season drive if he remains in touch.

Morgan, who won last season’s premiership by half a win over Aaron Bullock to go with his title two years earlier, leads with 100 wins for 2024/25 but currently has Braith Nock (98), Bullock (95), and Jean Van Overmeire (94) in hot pursuit.

In what’s been a breakthrough season for Morgan, that’s exceeded his expectations with a maiden Group 1 win on Private Harry in The Galaxy, he says building on what he’s achieved is important and that means a shift in his priorities.

Jockey Ashley Morgan (Pic: Bradley Photos).

On acceptances Morgan had a full book of 10 rides at Randwick on Saturday and that’s an illustration of the inroads he’s made.

“The target was 100 for the season numbers wise, I’m happy to get that, and ten in town and a stakes winner,’’ he said.

“I’ve got 18 in town, a Group 1 and five stakes wins. It’s been a magic season and I want to use it as a platform to go better again next season.

“(The premiership) is not really something that’d been on my mind through the season.

“I chased it the first year I won it but last year it was just the last couple of weeks and I thought I’d have a go.

“To be honest I’m surprised I’m up there, I missed the first five weeks of the season and I haven’t travelled like I did last year or when I won it before. I’m having a week off in July and if there’s two or three weeks to go and I’m close I’d maybe have a crack at it.”

Private Harry has been back in trainer Nathan Doyle’s stable for a while preparing for his TAB Everest shot later this year and Morgan said all indications are that the rising four-year-old is right on target.

“I sat on him for the first time on Tuesday,’’ he said.

“He felt great, he feels bigger, and he’s come back as good as we thought he would.”

Doyle provides Morgan with his first ride for the day at Randwick in the shape of the promising Caltsar in the Midway Handicap (1600m) and he’s a horse the jockey says is still working things out.

He’s won two of his three starts, the latest a narrow win at Kembla Grange three weeks ago, and he’s confident the gelding, $7 with TAB on Wednesday, isn’t just a wet tracker.

“His two wins have been on heavy but he’s a horse that’s still learning a lot,’’ he said.

“Scone set up for us a little bit wrong on a better surface. I feel like he improved again going into Kembla.

“He’s such a raw horse and he’s going to be so much better next prep but he was still able to win.

“I galloped him (Tuesday) and I think he has come on mentally, ability wise he is more than good enough to win a Midway.

“He's a bit of a handful but in his last two starts he’s been excellent so his mannerisms are improving and if he continues to improve he’ll be right there.”

Morgan is keen to partner Millie De Lune again in the Elite Sand & Soil Handicap (1800m) after a win that impressed him greatly two weeks ago where she ran down Hurstville Zagreb over the 2000m.

He said the Matt Smith-trained filly has come a long way since he rode her first-up this preparation at Nowra and, while he will need to produce a good ride, he’s confident she can hold her form.

“She’s a lovely filly, I would have loved a kinder draw for her but she is push button,’’ he said.

“The race the other day wasn’t run to suit her but she had a lovely run through the race. I think it’s a perfect race for her, down on the minimum again, but she will need a bit of luck from the gate.”

A smaller field and extra 200m are advantages Morgan feels that Hollywood Hero has on his side in the Living Turf Handicap (1800m) after he found himself in an impossible position last start.

The Bjorn Baker-trained gelding is another the jockey would have liked a better gate for but being a backmarker he said how the race pans out will be more important as illustrated in his win under Dylan Gibbons two starts ago.

“I thought he ran as well as he possibly could from where we ended up,’’ Morgan said.

Millie De Lune wins at Randwick on June 7

“He’s always going to be a horse that gets back in the run and you ride the race from the half mile onward. He benefits from picking runs and saving him for the last crack.

“We landed on the back of two horses that didn’t take us into the race, it got away from us more than anything from the 600m onward.

“I’m sure he’ll get 1800m and the way he raced the other day I think he will relish the trip this time.”

Ash Morgan on Magical Moments (race 3): “I felt like Wyong didn’t really suit her. They went quick in the race and she never had a chance to travel, I had to surrender a couple of spots to let her travel. I thought she worked home well to the line and going up in trip and a bigger track will suit her better. I think her run was a bit of a hidden run.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting