Sydneysider Robert Morris didn't take long to get into the winner's circle during his latest harness racing border-hopping raid.
Morris, who trains out of "Lucky Lodge" with his wife KerryAnn at Menangle, has taken a strong team of eight horses to campaign in Queensland for the next few weeks.
A similar hit and run visit during the Queensland winter carnival saw the popular horseman land more than a dozen winners, collecting $85,000 in stakemoney.
"We sort of decided on this trip after we checked out the program for their Summer Carnival and we hopefully have the right horses for the right time," Morris said.
The trip started off in promising fashion at Brisbane headquarters Albion Park on Friday night, with a narrow second placing with Take In The Gold.
Gotta Be Downtown (Gotta Go Cullect-Downtown HollyBrown) went one better and got the money on Saturday in the $13,000 Changeover @ Burwood Stud Mares Qualifying Pace.
"She's a nice mare owned by Neil Edge over in New Zealand. After wins at Bathurst, Goulburn and Penrith, she did well at a few Menangle runs," Morris said.
"Hopefully she can keep doing the job for us. She's the only one we train for Neil at the moment. He breeds a few each year, but normally concentrates on square-gaiters," he said.
Morris said he was on "a bit of a downer" over the poor performance of in-form four-year-old trotting mare Princess Kenny, who ran ninth being beaten by 32 metres.
"I thought she was my best chance but didn't fire a shot. I'll have to try and sort that one out in the next few days because there's another round of championship heats coming up," he said.
"It was disappointing because she's been in terrific form winning her previous four starts fairly easily back home.
"She will now need to do something special to get herself a place in the Group One Final of $50,000 on Saturday week, December 21, but we'll give it our best."
Robert Morris
The Championship is named in the memory of former legendary horseman Darrell Alexander, who was a fitness fanatic throughout his life, but was diagnosed with a brain tumor in late 2004 and sadly passed away in March 2005. He was only 65.
Alexander, fondly known as DJA, was born and grew up in Wynyard, Tasmania. He went on to take the sport in the Apple Isle by storm, winning five 'Tassie' premiership titles and a host of feature events.
A holiday in Queensland in the '80s resulted in him being offered the role of private trainer for then Racing Minister Russ Hinze. Over a three-and-a-half-year period with the racing magnate, DJA was prominent as a trainer and driver. When the curtain came down, he had driven 1315 winners.
While Morris is racing up north, wife KerryAnn is in charge of about 35 others back home.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't both get away. We have a four-year-old son Archie, and we decided it was best for him to be home with KerryAnn," Morris said.
"I'm again staying with Grant and Trista Dixon at Tamborine. I've come up with some lovely horses so with a bit of luck we'll do okay," he said.
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura