Ezekeil blows them away
Thu, Dec 15, 2022
Devastating is the only way to describe Ezekeil’s win in the $35,000 Armidale Newmarket on Sunday.
Ridden by Ben Looker, the Cody Morgan-trained Ezekeil started a well-supported $2.40 favourite before showing off a tremendous finishing burst in the final furlong of the 1100m event when putting more than five lengths on a quality field of Open Class country sprinters.
In the end, the Divine Prophet gelding finished 5.36 lengths ahead of the Jeremy Sylvester-trained Nosey (Luke Rolls, $26), while in third and 6.4 lengths off the winner was the Luke Thomas-trained Superior Witness (Raymond Spokes, $4.60).
Morgan was pleased to see his four-year-old deliver in the feature sprint on the Armidale Cup program after a less than stellar week on the training track.
“It was really good, but it surprised me,” Morgan said.
“His work through the week was not his best, so he’s kept it for race day.”
The lightly-raced Ezekeil has started 14 times for four wins and five minor placings, earning connections just shy of $100,000 in prizemoney, and Morgan was happy to deliver them another good win.
“The ownership group has been really patient with him. He is always a month or six weeks between runs, but that’s what you get when you do it,” Morgan said.
“He will go home and not eat much for a fortnight but then we’ll look for another race in a month.”
While he contested the 2022 Country Championships qualifiers at Tamworth and Scone earlier this year, Morgan suggested that wasn’t on the cards in 2023.
“I don’t think that’s where we will go. We tried him in the Country Championships last year, and he is really strong at 1100m and 1200m, and it’s always tempting,” Morgan said.
“Another thing is, he doesn’t like the wet either, but when he can do that over 1100m on the dry against good horses, we don’t want to change too much.”
The ever-improving type could be set for the 2023 Kosciuszko, especially if the Tamworth galloper continues to race in such a rich vein of form against quality Open Class company.
“Hs raced Bugalugs and different ones that have won in town, and he is quite an immature horse, so as he goes along, he is going to keep getting better,” Morgan said.
The Tamworth trainer enjoyed a successful day at Armidale, leaving with two wins and a third from three starters.
Aaron Bullock rode Willinga Tyson to victory in the 1900m Class One Plate, with the four-year-old proving too strong for his rivals. Atyobe finished third in the 1300m Class Two Handicap.
Original Article
Photo: Bradley Photographers
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