Hughie Morrison celebrates landmark 1,000th winner

Hughie Morrison celebrated his 1,000th career victory when Miss Fairfax coasted to success at Catterick.

Morrison took out a licence in 1997 and while he is principally a Flat trainer, every year bar his first he has had winners over jumps.

They included a Cheltenham Festival success with Frenchman’s Creek and the Fighting Fifth Hurdle this season when Not So Sleepy dead-heated with Epatante in the Grade One.

Miss Fairfax may not be up to that standard just yet, but she powered clear in the Meetings That Matter On Racing TV Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle to give Morrison a 99th winner in the National Hunt sphere, while 19 of his victories have come abroad.

“My son mentioned about six months ago that we must be getting quite close, so we’ve done the maths,” said Morrison.

“I had my first runner 25 years ago in March, so we’ve averaged 40 a year which can’t be bad.

“We’ve had Group One winners on the Flat and Grade One winners over hurdles and Alcazar, who was 10 when he won his Group One (in 2005) and is still alive.

“The jumpers have never been more than about 10 per cent of the string. I think when you have good ones like we did at the time with Frenchman’s Creek and Marble Arch, people tend to remember them more.”

He added: “We’ve got a few nice novices this season, like the one who won today, all she does is stay.

“She never picked up the bit at any stage she’s so laid back, all she does is stay and gallop. People talk about staying Flat horses which are usually slow, but as long as they can breathe and stay sound, they can also be very good. It’s not all about five-furlong horses!”

Elsewhere on the card Nick Kent’s Mick Maestro (100-30) notched up a third course success in the Happy 50th Dawn Callaghan Love You Handicap Hurdle.

Evan Williams sent Can You Call (85-40 favourite) on the long journey from Wales to win the Jumping For Joy On Racing TV Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Inishbiggle (9-2) provided owner/work rider Georgina Davies with further success in the Love Racing Handicap Hurdle, while Omar Maretti (15-8 favourite) outstayed Almazhar Garde in the Racing TV Profits Returned To Racing Handicap Chase.